Streamlining Traffic Mitigation Fees

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

The City of Lacey rewrote the ordinance governing collection of fees to mitigate : development impacts on the transportation system. Previously developers : submitted traffic generation and distribution reports prepared by qualified : traffic enginee...

Genetic diversity of the movement and coat protein genes of South American isolates of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus.

PubMed

Fiore, Nicola; Fajardo, Thor V M; Prodan, Simona; Herranz, María Carmen; Aparicio, Frederic; Montealegre, Jaime; Elena, Santiago F; Pallás, Vicente; Sánchez-Navarro, Jesús

2008-01-01

Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) is distributed worldwide, but no molecular data have been previously reported from South American isolates. The nucleotide sequences corresponding to the movement (MP) and coat (CP) proteins of 23 isolates of PNRSV from Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, and from different Prunus species, have been obtained. Phylogenetic analysis performed with full-length MP and CP sequences from all the PNRSV isolates confirmed the clustering of the isolates into the previously reported PV32-I, PV96-II and PE5-III phylogroups. No association was found between specific sequences and host, geographic origin or symptomatology. Comparative analysis showed that both MP and CP have phylogroup-specific amino acids and all of the motifs previously characterized for both proteins. The study of the distribution of synonymous and nonsynonymous changes along both open reading frames revealed that most amino acid sites are under the effect of negative purifying selection.

Energy Engineering Analysis Program, limited energy study of steam distribution systems, Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot, Hawthorne, Nevada. Energy report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-07-01

This report summarizes all work of the Limited Energy Study of Steam Distribution Systems, Energy Engineering Analysis Program, Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot (HWAAD), Nevada. The purpose of this limited energy study is to evaluate steam distribution and condensate collection systems in both the Industrial Area and Ordnance Area of HWAAD to develop a set of replacement actions that will reduce energy consumption and operating costs. These efforts consist of corrections and revisions to previously submitted funding requests. A number of facilities covering over 140,000 acres constitute HWAAD; however, this study was limited to the Industrial and Ordnance Areas.

School Finance at a Glance. [Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verstegen, Deborah A.

As in previous years, this publication provides information on two dimensions of public education finance in the United States--raising and distributing education dollars. Information as reported by each of the 50 states is provided. The first section shows the current financing structure used in each state. In 1990, states generally reported four…

Frontcountry encounter norms among three cultures

Treesearch

Jerry J. Vaske; Maureen P. Donnelly; Robert M. Doctor; James P. Petruzzi

1995-01-01

Existing normative studies have focused on backcountry encounter norms reported by North Americans. This study extends previous research by comparing encounter norms reported by three different cultures - North Americans, Europeans, and Japanese - in a frontcountry day use recreation area. Data were obtained from on-site surveys distributed at the Columbia Icefield in...

Neoplastic diseases in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in Italy: classification and tissue distribution of 856 cases (2000-2010).

PubMed

Avallone, Giancarlo; Forlani, Annalisa; Tecilla, Marco; Riccardi, Elena; Belluco, Sara; Santagostino, Sara Francesca; Grilli, Guido; Khadivi, Kiumars; Roccabianca, Paola

2016-12-05

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and tissue distribution of neoplasms in Italian ferrets, compared to the epidemiological data previously reported in USA and Japan. Signalment and diagnoses of pathological submissions received between 2000 and 2010 were searched; cases with the diagnosis of neoplasm were selected and original sections reviewed to confirm the diagnosis. Nine-hundred and ten samples were retrieved, 690 of which included at least one tumour for a total of 856 tumours. Ferrets with multiple neoplasms were 134 (19.4%). Median age was 5 years, and F/M ratio was 0.99. Endocrine neoplasms were the most common. Other frequent tumours were cutaneous mast cell tumours, sebaceous tumours, and lymphomas. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were consistently associated with sebaceous tumours. Twenty-four abdominal spindle cell tumours with an undefined origin were observed. Lymphomas and islet cell tumours had a lower incidence compared with previous extra-European studies. Epidemiological information on ferret tumours derives from extra-European countries, mostly USA and Japan. In these countries similar distributions with minor discrepancies have been reported. Compared to previous reports, adrenal tumours were more frequent than pancreatic islet cell neoplasms, and a higher number of mesenchymal neoplasms arising from the adrenal capsule was noted. An unusual association between SCC and sebaceous gland neoplasms and a high number of intrabdominal spindle cell neoplasms with unclear primary origin were noted and grants further investigation. The tissue distribution of tumours recorded in this study paralleled previous findings in ferrets from USA and Japan. Some differences have been noted in the frequency of lymphoma, adrenal mesenchymal tumours and cutaneous tumours. Some tumours that are among the most common in other species seem to be uncommon in ferrets and are characterized by distinctive predilection sites.

Segmental stiff skin syndrome (SSS): A distinct clinical entity.

PubMed

Myers, Kathryn L; Mir, Adnan; Schaffer, Julie V; Meehan, Shane A; Orlow, Seth J; Brinster, Nooshin K

2016-07-01

Stiff skin syndrome (SSS) is a noninflammatory, fibrosing condition of the skin, often affecting the limb girdles. We present 4 new patients with SSS with largely unilateral, segmental distribution. To date, reported cases of SSS have been grouped based on generally accepted clinical and histopathologic findings. The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in clinical and histopathologic findings between previously reported SSS cases. This is a retrospective review of 4 new cases and 48 previously published cases of SSS obtained from PubMed search. Of 52 total cases, 18 (35%) were segmentally distributed and 34 (65%) were widespread. The average age of onset was 4.1 years versus 1.6 years for segmental versus widespread SSS, respectively. Limitation in joint mobility affected 44% of patients with segmental SSS and 97% of patients with widespread SSS. Histopathologic findings were common between the 2 groups. This was a retrospective study of previously published cases limited by the completeness and accuracy of the reviewed cases. We propose a distinct clinical entity, segmental SSS, characterized by a segmental distribution, later age of onset, and less severe functional limitation. Both segmental SSS and widespread SSS share common diagnostic histopathologic features. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. All rights reserved.

The ugrizYJHK luminosity distributions and densities from the combined MGC, SDSS and UKIDSS LAS data sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, David T.; Driver, Simon P.; Cameron, Ewan; Cross, Nicholas; Liske, Jochen; Robotham, Aaron

2010-05-01

We combine data from the Millennium Galaxy Catalogue, Sloan Digital Sky Survey and UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey Large Area Survey to produce ugrizYJHK luminosity functions and densities from within a common, low-redshift volume (z < 0.1, ~ 71000h-31 Mpc3 for L* systems) with 100 per cent spectroscopic completeness. In the optical the fitted Schechter functions are comparable in shape to those previously reported values but with higher normalizations (typically 0, 30, 20, 15, 5 per cent higher φ* values in u, g, r, i, z, respectively, over those reported by the SDSS team). We attribute these to differences in the redshift ranges probed, incompleteness and adopted normalization methods. In the near-IR (NIR) we find significantly different Schechter function parameters (mainly in the M* values) to those previously reported and attribute this to the improvement in the quality of the imaging data over previous studies. This is the first homogeneous measurement of the extragalactic luminosity density which fully samples both the optical and NIR regimes. Unlike previous compilations that have noted a discontinuity between the optical and NIR regimes our homogeneous data set shows a smooth cosmic spectral energy distribution (CSED). After correcting for dust attenuation we compare our CSED to the expected values based on recent constraints on the cosmic star formation history and the initial mass function.

Custody, Care, and Nurture: Trends in Early-Childhood Education in Wollongong.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Lacey, P. R.; Barlow, A.

This study reports the quick growth and the rapidly changing nature and function of the preschool centers in the City of Greater Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Chapter I summarizes 2 previous studies related to the social distribution of preschool services. Chapter II briefly reports survey data on topics ranging from preschool…

New records of parasitoids of Aculeate Hymenoptera in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

J.A. Torres; R.R. Snelling; M. Canals

2000-01-01

There are few reports of parasitoids of Aculeate Hymenoptera for Puerto Rico (Wolcott, 1948). Parasitoids are potentially significant control agents of other insect species, and iti important to know their distribution and hosts . The parasitic species reported here have not previously been recorded from Puerto Rico. These parasitoids were collected or reared during...

Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) species new to the fauna of Norway

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract The present paper contains new distributional records for 61 species of ichneumon wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) previously unknown for Norway, six of them are reported from Scandinavia for the first time. PMID:24855440

Breeding colonies of least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosemartin, Alyssa; van Riper, Charles

2012-01-01

We document distribution of breeding least terns (Sternula antillarum) in northern Sonora, Mexico, 2006-2008. We report breeding activity at six sites with active colonies, including three previously undocumented colonies.

Dendritic growth model of multilevel marketing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, James Christopher S.; Monterola, Christopher P.

2017-02-01

Biologically inspired dendritic network growth is utilized to model the evolving connections of a multilevel marketing (MLM) enterprise. Starting from agents at random spatial locations, a network is formed by minimizing a distance cost function controlled by a parameter, termed the balancing factor bf, that weighs the wiring and the path length costs of connection. The paradigm is compared to an actual MLM membership data and is shown to be successful in statistically capturing the membership distribution, better than the previously reported agent based preferential attachment or analytic branching process models. Moreover, it recovers the known empirical statistics of previously studied MLM, specifically: (i) a membership distribution characterized by the existence of peak levels indicating limited growth, and (ii) an income distribution obeying the 80 - 20 Pareto principle. Extensive types of income distributions from uniform to Pareto to a "winner-take-all" kind are also modeled by varying bf. Finally, the robustness of our dendritic growth paradigm to random agent removals is explored and its implications to MLM income distributions are discussed.

Mortality estimate of Chinese mystery snail, Bellamya chinensis (Reeve, 1863) in a Nebraska reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haak, Danielle M.; Chaine, Noelle M.; Stephen, Bruce J.; Wong, Alec; Allen, Craig R.

2013-01-01

The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is an aquatic invasive species found throughout the USA. Little is known about this species’ life history or ecology, and only one population estimate has been published, for Wild Plum Lake in southeast Nebraska. A recent die-off event occurred at this same reservoir and we present a mortality estimate for this B. chinensis population using a quadrat approach. Assuming uniform distribution throughout the newly-exposed lake bed (20,900 m2), we estimate 42,845 individuals died during this event, amounting to approximately 17% of the previously-estimated population size of 253,570. Assuming uniform distribution throughout all previously-reported available habitat (48,525 m2), we estimate 99,476 individuals died, comprising 39% of the previously-reported adult population. The die-off occurred during an extreme drought event, which was coincident with abnormally hot weather. However, the exact reason of the die-off is still unclear. More monitoring of the population dynamics of B. chinensis is necessary to further our understanding of this species’ ecology.

Distribution of nitrogen and defects in SiO(x)N(y)/Si structures formed by the thermal nitridation of SiO2/Si

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vasquez, R. P.; Madhukar, A.; Grunthaner, F. J.; Naiman, M. L.

1986-01-01

Previously reported nitrogen distributions in SiO2 films on Si which have been thermally nitrided at 1000 C have been explained by a kinetic model of the nitridation process which rests upon the effects of interfacial strain. A critical test of this kinetic model is the validity of the predictions regarding nitrogen distributions obtained at other nitridation temperatures. In this work, nitrogen distributions determined via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are reported for samples nitrided at 800 and 1150 C, and are shown to be consistent with the kinetic model. In addition, the intensity of a fluorine marker is found to correlate with the nitrogen distribution, and is postulated to be related to kinetically generated defects in the dielectric film, consistent with the strain-dependent energy of formation of defects proposed recently to explain electrical data.

Evidence for hubs in human functional brain networks

PubMed Central

Power, Jonathan D; Schlaggar, Bradley L; Lessov-Schlaggar, Christina N; Petersen, Steven E

2013-01-01

Summary Hubs integrate and distribute information in powerful ways due to the number and positioning of their contacts in a network. Several resting state functional connectivity MRI reports have implicated regions of the default mode system as brain hubs; we demonstrate that previous degree-based approaches to hub identification may have identified portions of large brain systems rather than critical nodes of brain networks. We utilize two methods to identify hub-like brain regions: 1) finding network nodes that participate in multiple sub-networks of the brain, and 2) finding spatial locations where several systems are represented within a small volume. These methods converge on a distributed set of regions that differ from previous reports on hubs. This work identifies regions that support multiple systems, leading to spatially constrained predictions about brain function that may be tested in terms of lesions, evoked responses, and dynamic patterns of activity. PMID:23972601

New Report Shines Light on Installed Costs and Deployment Barriers for

Science.gov Websites

Laboratory (NREL) are making available the most detailed component and system-level cost breakdowns to date previously unknown soft costs for the first time. The report, titled "Installed Cost Benchmarks and interest in pairing distributed PV with storage, but there's a lack of publicly available cost data and

Characterization of Fissile Assemblies Using Low-Efficiency Detection Systems

DOE PAGES

Chapline, George F.; Verbeke, Jerome M.

2017-02-02

Here, we have investigated the possibility that the amount, chemical form, multiplication, and shape of the fissile material in an assembly can be passively assayed using scintillator detection systems by only measuring the fast neutron pulse height distribution and distribution of time intervals Δt between fast neutrons. We have previously demonstrated that the alpha-ratio can be obtained from the observed pulse height distribution for fast neutrons. In this paper we report that we report that when the distribution of time intervals is plotted as a function of logΔt, the position of the correlated neutron peak is nearly independent of detectormore » efficiency and determines the internal relaxation rate for fast neutrons. If this information is combined with knowledge of the alpha-ratio, then the position of the minimum between the correlated and uncorrelated peaks can be used to rapidly estimate the mass, multiplication, and shape of fissile material. This method does not require a priori knowledge of either the efficiency for neutron detection or the alpha-ratio. Although our method neglects 3-neutron correlations, we have used previously obtained experimental data for metallic and oxide forms of Pu to demonstrate that our method yields good estimates for multiplications as large as 2, and that the only constraint on detector efficiency/observation time is that a peak in the interval time distribution due to correlated neutrons is visible.« less

Uranium distribution and 'excessive' U-He ages in iron meteoritic troilite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, D. E.

1985-01-01

Fission tracking techniques were used to measure the uranium distribution in meteoritic troilite and graphite. The obtained fission tracking data showed a heterogeneous distribution of tracks with a significant portion of track density present in the form of uranium clusters at least 10 microns in size. The matrix containing the clusters was also heterogeneous in composition with U concentrations of about 0.2-4.7 ppb. U/He ages could not be estimated on the basis of the heterogeneous U distributions, so previously reported estimates of U/He ages in the presolar range are probably invalid.

Phase pupil functions for focal-depth enhancement derived from a Wigner distribution function.

PubMed

Zalvidea, D; Sicre, E E

1998-06-10

A method for obtaining phase-retardation functions, which give rise to an increase of the image focal depth, is proposed. To this end, the Wigner distribution function corresponding to a specific aperture that has an associated small depth of focus in image space is conveniently sheared in the phase-space domain to generate a new Wigner distribution function. From this new function a more uniform on-axis image irradiance can be accomplished. This approach is illustrated by comparison of the imaging performance of both the derived phase function and a previously reported logarithmic phase distribution.

7 CFR 1717.857 - Refinancing of existing secured debt-distribution and power supply borrowers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the proposed loan; (4) The borrower's financial and statistical report, the data in which shall not be... delinquency and the reasons therefor; and a certification, if not previously provided, that the borrower has...

Survey of Biofouling an Australian Navy Ships: Crustacea; Isopoda and Amphipoda; Caprellidea

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

On uptake, ballast water can contain a diversity of plankton and nekton that, depending on the length and temperature of the voyage, may survive...and Sphaeroma walkeri, both previously reported as introduced species and now having a wide distribution , both in Australia and world wide. Other...established as introduced species with a cosmopolitan distribution , both in Australia and worldwide. Other species that were recorded in the survey

Collinear collision chemistry. II. Energy disposition in reactive collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahan, B.H.

1974-06-01

A model describing the mechanics of collinear atom-diatom collisions and previously reported by the author is extended to describe reactive collisions. The model indicates the effects of such factors as the mass distribution and potential energy barriers and wells on the reaction probability and on the distribution of energy among the modes of motion of the products. Simple geometry and trigonometry are sufficient to solve the model.

Evolving Distributed Generation Support Mechanisms: Case Studies from United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and Australia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lowder, Travis; Zhou, Ella; Tian, Tian

This report expands on a previous National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) technical report (Lowder et al. 2015) that focused on the United States' unique approach to distributed generation photovoltaics (DGPV) support policies and business models. While the focus of that report was largely historical (i.e., detailing the policies and market developments that led to the growth of DGPV in the United States), this report looks forward, narrating recent changes to laws and regulations as well as the ongoing dialogues over how to incorporate distributed generation (DG) resources onto the electric grid. This report also broadens the scope of Lowder etmore » al. (2015) to include additional countries and technologies. DGPV and storage are the principal technologies under consideration (owing to market readiness and deployment volumes), but the report also contemplates any generation resource that is (1) on the customer side of the meter, (2) used to, at least partly, offset a host's energy consumption, and/or (3) potentially available to provide grid support (e.g., through peak shaving and load shifting, ancillary services, and other means).« less

Velocity distributions among colliding asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bottke, William F., Jr.; Nolan, Michael C.; Greenberg, Richard; Kolvoord, Robert A.

1994-01-01

The probability distribution for impact velocities between two given asteroids is wide, non-Gaussian, and often contains spikes according to our new method of analysis in which each possible orbital geometry for collision is weighted according to its probability. An average value would give a good representation only if the distribution were smooth and narrow. Therefore, the complete velocity distribution we obtain for various asteroid populations differs significantly from published histograms of average velocities. For all pairs among the 682 asteroids in the main-belt with D greater than 50 km, we find that our computed velocity distribution is much wider than previously computed histograms of average velocities. In this case, the most probable impact velocity is approximately 4.4 km/sec, compared with the mean impact velocity of 5.3 km/sec. For cases of a single asteroid (e.g., Gaspra or Ida) relative to an impacting population, the distribution we find yields lower velocities than previously reported by others. The width of these velocity distributions implies that mean impact velocities must be used with caution when calculating asteroid collisional lifetimes or crater-size distributions. Since the most probable impact velocities are lower than the mean, disruption events may occur less frequently than previously estimated. However, this disruption rate may be balanced somewhat by an apparent increase in the frequency of high-velocity impacts between asteroids. These results have implications for issues such as asteroidal disruption rates, the amount/type of impact ejecta available for meteoritical delivery to the Earth, and the geology and evolution of specific asteroids like Gaspra.

[Computerised monitoring of integrated cervical screening. Indicators of diagnostic performance].

PubMed

Bucchi, L; Pierri, C; Amadori, A; Folicaldi, S; Ghidoni, D; Nannini, R; Bondi, A

2003-12-01

In a previous issue of this journal, we presented the background, rationale, general methods, and indicators of participation of a computerised system for the monitoring of integrated cervical screening, i.e. the integration of spontaneous Pap smear practice into organised screening. We also reported the results of the application of those indicators in the general database of the Pathology Department of Imola Health District in northern Italy. In the current paper, we present the rationale and definitions of indicators of diagnostic performance (total Pap smears and rate of unsatisfactory Pap smears, distribution by cytology class reported, rate of patients without timely follow-up, detection rate, positive predictive value, distribution of cytology classes reported by histology diagnosis, and distribution of cases of CIN and carcinoma registered by detection modality) as well as the results of their application in the same database as above.

Particle size distribution of mainstream tobacco and marijuana smoke. Analysis using the electrical aerosol analyzer.

PubMed

Anderson, P J; Wilson, J D; Hiller, F C

1989-07-01

Accurate measurement of cigarette smoke particle size distribution is important for estimation of lung deposition. Most prior investigators have reported a mass median diameter (MMD) in the size range of 0.3 to 0.5 micron, with a small geometric standard deviation (GSD), indicating few ultrafine (less than 0.1 micron) particles. A few studies, however, have suggested the presence of ultrafine particles by reporting a smaller count median diameter (CMD). Part of this disparity may be due tot he inefficiency to previous sizing methods in measuring ultrafine size range, to evaluate size distribution of smoke from standard research cigarettes, commercial filter cigarettes, and from marijuana cigarettes with different delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol contents. Four 35-cm3, 2-s puffs were generated at 60-s intervals, rapidly diluted, and passed through a charge neutralizer and into a 240-L chamber. Size distribution for six cigarettes of each type was measured, CMD and GSD were determined from a computer-generated log probability plot, and MMD was calculated. The size distribution parameters obtained were similar for all cigarettes tested, with an average CMD of 0.1 micron, a MMD of 0.38 micron, and a GSD of 2.0. The MMD found using the EAA is similar to that previously reported, but the CMD is distinctly smaller and the GSD larger, indicating the presence of many more ultrafine particles. These results may explain the disparity of CMD values found in existing data. Ultrafine particles are of toxicologic importance because their respiratory tract deposition is significantly higher than for particles 0.3 to 0.5 micron and because their large surface area facilitates adsorption and delivery of potentially toxic gases to the lung.

Lognormal Infection Times of Online Information Spread

PubMed Central

Doerr, Christian; Blenn, Norbert; Van Mieghem, Piet

2013-01-01

The infection times of individuals in online information spread such as the inter-arrival time of Twitter messages or the propagation time of news stories on a social media site can be explained through a convolution of lognormally distributed observation and reaction times of the individual participants. Experimental measurements support the lognormal shape of the individual contributing processes, and have resemblance to previously reported lognormal distributions of human behavior and contagious processes. PMID:23700473

OAI and NASA's Scientific and Technical Information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Michael L.; Rocker, JoAnne; Harrison, Terry L.

2002-01-01

The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) is an evolving protocol and philosophy regarding interoperability for digital libraries (DLs). Previously, "distributed searching" models were popular for DL interoperability. However, experience has shown distributed searching systems across large numbers of DLs to be difficult to maintain in an Internet environment. The OAI-PMH is a move away from distributed searching, focusing on the arguably simpler model of "metadata harvesting". We detail NASA s involvement in defining and testing the OAI-PMH and experience to date with adapting existing NASA distributed searching DLs (such as the NASA Technical Report Server) to use the OAI-PMH and metadata harvesting. We discuss some of the entirely new DL projects that the OAI-PMH has made possible, such as the Technical Report Interchange project. We explain the strategic importance of the OAI-PMH to the mission of NASA s Scientific and Technical Information Program.

DISTRIBUTION OF ATRAZINE IN PC12 CELLS AND MODULATION OF CATECHOLAMINE SYNTHESIS

EPA Science Inventory

Previously, we reported that atrazine disrupts ovarian function by altering hypothalamic catecholamine (CA) concentrations and the consequent regulation of pituitary LH release and prolactin secretion in the young female rat. We also showed that atrazine directly interacts with t...

Efficient entanglement distribution over 200 kilometers.

PubMed

Dynes, J F; Takesue, H; Yuan, Z L; Sharpe, A W; Harada, K; Honjo, T; Kamada, H; Tadanaga, O; Nishida, Y; Asobe, M; Shields, A J

2009-07-06

Here we report the first demonstration of entanglement distribution over a record distance of 200 km which is of sufficient fidelity to realize secure communication. In contrast to previous entanglement distribution schemes, we use detection elements based on practical avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating in a self-differencing mode. These APDs are low-cost, compact and easy to operate requiring only electrical cooling to achieve high single photon detection efficiency. The self-differencing APDs in combination with a reliable parametric down-conversion source demonstrate that entanglement distribution over ultra-long distances has become both possible and practical. Consequently the outlook is extremely promising for real world entanglement-based communication between distantly separated parties.

Extreme Precipitation and High-Impact Landslides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirschbaum, Dalia; Adler, Robert; Huffman, George; Peters-Lidard, Christa

2012-01-01

It is well known that extreme or prolonged rainfall is the dominant trigger of landslides; however, there remain large uncertainties in characterizing the distribution of these hazards and meteorological triggers at the global scale. Researchers have evaluated the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme rainfall and landslides at local and regional scale primarily using in situ data, yet few studies have mapped rainfall-triggered landslide distribution globally due to the dearth of landslide data and consistent precipitation information. This research uses a newly developed Global Landslide Catalog (GLC) and a 13-year satellite-based precipitation record from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data. For the first time, these two unique products provide the foundation to quantitatively evaluate the co-occurence of precipitation and rainfall-triggered landslides globally. The GLC, available from 2007 to the present, contains information on reported rainfall-triggered landslide events around the world using online media reports, disaster databases, etc. When evaluating this database, we observed that 2010 had a large number of high-impact landslide events relative to previous years. This study considers how variations in extreme and prolonged satellite-based rainfall are related to the distribution of landslides over the same time scales for three active landslide areas: Central America, the Himalayan Arc, and central-eastern China. Several test statistics confirm that TRMM rainfall generally scales with the observed increase in landslide reports and fatal events for 2010 and previous years over each region. These findings suggest that the co-occurrence of satellite precipitation and landslide reports may serve as a valuable indicator for characterizing the spatiotemporal distribution of landslide-prone areas in order to establish a global rainfall-triggered landslide climatology. This research also considers the sources for this extreme rainfall, citing teleconnections from ENSO as likely contributors to regional precipitation variability. This work demonstrates the potential for using satellite-based precipitation estimates to identify potentially active landslide areas at the global scale in order to improve landslide cataloging and quantify landslide triggering at daily, monthly and yearly time scales.

Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - Platygastroidea

PubMed Central

Buhl, Peter N.; Notton, David G.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background A revised checklist of the British and Irish Platygastroidea (Platygastridae) substantially updates the previous comprehensive checklist, dating from 1978. Distribution data (i.e. occurrence in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man) is reported where known. New information A total of 381 British and Irish Platygastroidea represents a 47% increase on the number of British and Irish species reported in 1978. PMID:27279762

Immunoreactive GnRH Type I Receptors in the Mouse and Sheep Brain

PubMed Central

Albertson, Asher J.; Navratil, Amy; Mignot, Mallory; Dufourny, Laurence; Cherrington, Brian; Skinner, Donal C.

2008-01-01

GnRH has been implicated in an array of functions outside the neuroendocrine reproductive axis. Previous investigations have reported extensive GnRH binding in numerous sites and this has been supported by in situ hybridization studies reporting GnRH receptor mRNA distribution. The present study on mice and sheep supports and extends these earlier investigations by revealing the distribution of cells immunoreactive for the GnRH receptor. In addition to sites previously shown to express GnRH receptors such as the hippocampus, amygdala and the arcuate nucleus, the improved resolution afforded by immunocytochemistry detected cells in the mitral cell lay of the olfactory bulb as well as the central grey of the mesencephalon. In addition, GnRH receptor immunoreactive neurons in the hippocampus and mesencephalon of the sheep were shown to colocalize with estrogen receptor β. Although GnRH may act at some of these sites to regulate reproductive processes, evidence is accumulating to support an extra-reproductive role for this hypothalamic decapeptide. PMID:18439800

Dermatoglyphic analysis of La Liébana (Cantabria, Spain). 2. Finger ridge counts.

PubMed

Martín, J; Gómez, P

1993-06-01

The results of univariate and multivariate analyses of the quantitative finger dermatoglyphic traits (i.e. ridge counts) of a sample of 109 males and 88 females from La Liébana (Cantabria, Spain) are reported. Univariate results follow the trends usually found in previous studies, e.g., ranking of finger ridge counts, bilateral asymmetry or shape of the distributions of the frequencies. However, sexual dimorphism is nearly inexistent concerning finger ridge counts. This lack of dimorphism could be related to certain characteristics of the distribution of finger dermatoglyphic patterns previously reported by the same authors. The multivariate description has been carried out by means of principal component analysis (with varimax rotation to obtain the final solution) of the correlation matrices computed from the 10 maximal finger ridge counts. Although the results do not necessarily prove the concept of developmental fields ("field theory" and later modifications), some precepts of the theory are present: field polarization and field overlapping.

Modulation of in vivo distribution through chelator: Synthesis and evaluation of a 2-nitroimidazole-dipicolylamine-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex for detecting tumor hypoxia.

PubMed

Mallia, Madhava B; Mittal, Sweety; Sarma, Haladhar D; Banerjee, Sharmila

2016-01-01

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated strong correlation between in vivo distribution and blood clearance of radiopharmaceuticals for the detection of hypoxia. Present study describes an attempt to improve the in vivo distribution of a previously reported 2-nitroimidazole-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex by tuning its blood clearance pattern through structural modification of the ligand. Herein, a 2-nitroimidazole-dipicolylamine ligand (2-nitroimidazole-DPA) was synthesized in a two-step procedure and radiolabeled with (99m)Tc(CO)3 core. Subsequently, the complex was evaluated in Swiss mice bearing fibrosarcoma tumor. As intended by its design, 2-nitroimidazole-DPA-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex was more lipophilic than previously reported 2-nitroimidazole-DETA-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex (DETA-diethylenetriamine) and showed slower blood clearance. Consequently it showed higher tumor uptake than 2-nitroimidazole-DETA-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex. Significantly, despite structural modifications, other parameters such as the tumor to blood ratio and tumor to muscle ratio of the 2-nitroimidazole-DPA-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex remained comparable to that of 2-nitroimidazole-DETA-(99m)Tc(CO)3 complex. Present study demonstrates the feasibility of structural modifications for improving in vivo tumor uptake of hypoxia detecting radiopharmaceuticals. This might encourage researchers to improve suboptimal properties of a potential radiopharmaceuticals rather than ignoring it altogether. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A previously unreported locality record for the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lovich, Jeff; Haxel, Gordon

2011-01-01

Although the Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) is widely distributed throughout the Sonoran and portions of the Mojave Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, details of its distribution in California are imperfectly known, due to the apparent rarity of the species in that state. In their review of Gila Monster records for California, Lovich and Beaman (2007) documented only 26 credible sightings during a period of 153 years. In May 2009 another sighting in California was documented by Ruppert (2010a, b) who photographed a specimen in the Providence Mountains, an area known for previous Gila Monster sightings (Lovich and Beaman 2007). In this paper we report the 28th credible record of a Gila Monster in California.

Vascular flora of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, westernmost Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S.L.; Schofield, W.B.

2006-01-01

The vascular flora of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), where few previous collections had been reported, was collected and recorded at sites selected to represent the totality of environmental variation. A total of 349 species (339 native and 10 introduced) was identified. To provide a comparative phytogeographic framework, we analyzed data from published reports that categorized vascular plant distribution patterns from a circumpolar, North American, and Alaskan perspective. The native flora of the Izembek NWR primarily includes species of circumpolar (38%), eastern Asian (23%), Eurasian (18%), and North American (13%) distribution. The most important longitudinal distributional classes in North America consist of transcontinental (62%) and extreme western species (31%). The annotated list of species in Izembek NWR expands the range of many species, filling a distributional gap in Hulte??n's Western Pacific Coast district. Forty notable range extensions are reported. The flora of Izembek NWR is primarily made up of boreal species and lacks many of the species considered to be Arctic. Comparison with the Raunkiaer life-form spectrum similarly points to the boreal.

An Analysis of Transmission and Storage Gains from Sliding Checksum Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-11-01

analysed a protocol "rsync" for synchronising related files at different ends of a communications channel with a minimum of transmitted data. This report...Sliding Checksum Methods Executive Summary In a previous report we described, modelled and analysed a protocol "rsync" for synchronising related...collaborative writing of documentation and synchronisation of distributed databases in the situation where no one location is aware of the differences

Airfoil section characteristics as applied to the prediction of air forces and their distribution on wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, Eastman N; Rhode, R V

1938-01-01

The results of previous reports dealing with airfoil section characteristics and span load distribution data are coordinated into a method for determining the air forces and their distribution on airplane wings. Formulas are given from which the resultant force distribution may be combined to find the wing aerodynamic center and pitching moment. The force distribution may also be resolved to determine the distribution of chord and beam components. The forces are resolved in such a manner that it is unnecessary to take the induced drag into account. An illustration of the method is given for a monoplane and a biplane for the conditions of steady flight and a sharp-edge gust. The force determination is completed by outlining a procedure for finding the distribution of load along the chord of airfoil sections.

Effect of noise on defect chaos in a reaction-diffusion model.

PubMed

Wang, Hongli; Ouyang, Qi

2005-06-01

The influence of noise on defect chaos due to breakup of spiral waves through Doppler and Eckhaus instabilities is investigated numerically with a modified Fitzhugh-Nagumo model. By numerical simulations we show that the noise can drastically enhance the creation and annihilation rates of topological defects. The noise-free probability distribution function for defects in this model is found not to fit with the previously reported squared-Poisson distribution. Under the influence of noise, the distributions are flattened, and can fit with the squared-Poisson or the modified-Poisson distribution. The defect lifetime and diffusive property of defects under the influence of noise are also checked in this model.

Acute bacterial meningitis in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, 1 January 1971 through 31 December 1975.

PubMed

Miner, W F; Edman, D C

1978-09-01

Between 1 January 1971 and 31 December 1975, 1,333 patients with acute bacterial meningitis were admitted to the meningitis ward of the Abbassia Fever Hospital. These cases are tabulated by distribution of diagnosis, seasonal distribution, age and sex distribution, and age-specific case fatality ratio. Results are compared with those of other large series of cases reported from other parts of the world. The annual incidence of acute bacterial meningitis in Egypt varies widely. Recent data show this to be due to variations in the incidence of group A meningococcal meningitis. The study includes the declining phase of an epidemic of that disease and confirms a previously reported finding that the case fatality ratio in group A meningococcal meningitis varies inversely with the annual number of cases.

The Rapidity Density Distributions and Longitudinal Expansion Dynamics of Identified Pions from the STAR Beam Energy Scan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Christopher E.

2016-12-01

The Beam Energy Scan (BES) at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider was proposed to characterize the properties of the medium produced in heavy-ion interactions over a broad range of baryon chemical potential. The aptitude of the STAR detector for mid-rapidity measurements has previously been leveraged to measure identified particle yields and spectra to extract bulk properties for the BES energies for | y | ≤ 0.1. However, to extract information on expansion dynamics and full phase space particle production, it is necessary to study identified particle rapidity density distributions. We present the first rapidity density distributions of identified pions from Au+Au collisions at √{sNN} = 7.7 , 11.5, and 19.6 GeV from the BES program as measured by the STAR detector. We use these distributions to obtain the full phase space yields of the pions to provide additional information of the system's chemistry. Further, we report the width of the rapidity density distributions compared to the width expected from Landau hydrodynamics. Finally, we interpret the results as a function of collision energy and discuss them in the context of previous energy scans done at the AGS and SPS.

China Report, Red Flag, Number 10, 16 May 1983

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-19

coconuts, peppers, cashew nuts , and tea have all broken previous production records. Last year, income distributed over the whole region reached 258...whole brigade planted 3,200 mu of sugarcane, 320 mu of rubber, 13,700 coconut palms, some betel palms, cashews , and other economic crops. The

A procedure for estimating the frequency distribution of CO levels in the micro-region of a highway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

This report demonstrates that the probability of violating a "not to be exceeded more than once per year", one-hour air quality standard can be bounded from above. This result represents a significant improvement over previous methods of ascertaining...

White rot of garlic and onion (Causal agent, Sclerotium cepivorum): A status report from the Pacific Northwest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is evidence from literature, state department of agriculture documents, and recent diagnoses that Sclerotium cepivorum, causal agent of white rot of garlic and onion, is spreading and/or becoming more established in the Pacific Northwest. Previously documented distributions are summarized, an...

BENCH-SCALE STUDIES ON THE SIMULTANEOUS FORMATION OF PCBS AND PCDDS/FS FROM COMBUSTION SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper reports on a bench-scale experimental study to characterize a newly built reactor system that was built to: produce levels and distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) production similar to those achieved by previous re...

Determination of kinetic parameters for 123-I thyroid uptake in healthy Japanese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusuhara, Hiroyuki; Maeda, Kazuya

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the kinetic parameters for iodide thyroid accumulation in Japanese today with previously reported values. We determined the thyroid uptake of 123-I at 24 hours after the oral administration in healthy male Japanese without any diet restriction. The mean value was 16.1±5.4%, which was similar or rather lower than those previously reported in Japan (1958-1972). Kinetic model analysis was conducted to obtain the clearance for thyroid uptake from the blood circulation. The thyroid uptake clearance of 123-I was 0.540±0.073 ml/min, which was almost similar to those reported previously. There is no obvious difference in the thyroid uptake for 24 hours, and kinetic parameters in healthy Japanese for these 50 years. The fraction of distributed to the thyroid gland is lower than the ICRP reference man, and such difference must be taken into consideration to estimate the radiation exposure upon Fukushima accident in Japan.

The Third BATSE Gamma-Ray Burst Catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meegan, Charles A.; Pendleton, Geoffrey N.; Briggs, Michael S.; Kouveliotou, Chryssa; Koshut, Thomas M.; Lestrade, John Patrick; Paciesas, William S.; McCollough, Michael L.; Brainerd, Jerome J.; Horack, John M.;

Lesser devil rays Mobula cf. hypostoma from Venezuela are almost twice their previously reported maximum size and may be a new sub-species.

PubMed

Ehemann, N R; González-González, L V; Trites, A W

2017-03-01

Three rays opportunistically obtained near Margarita Island, Venezuela, were identified as lesser devil rays Mobula cf. hypostoma, but their disc widths were between 207 and 230 cm, which is almost double the reported maximum disc width of 120 cm for this species. These morphometric data suggest that lesser devil rays are either larger than previously recognized or that these specimens belong to an unknown sub-species of Mobula in the Caribbean Sea. Better data are needed to describe the distribution, phenotypic variation and population structure of this poorly known species. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

The incubation period distribution of tuberculosis estimated with a molecular epidemiological approach.

PubMed

Borgdorff, Martien W; Sebek, Maruschka; Geskus, Ronald B; Kremer, Kristin; Kalisvaart, Nico; van Soolingen, Dick

2011-08-01

There is limited information on the distribution of incubation periods of tuberculosis (TB). In The Netherlands, patients whose Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates have identical DNA fingerprints in the period 1993-2007 were interviewed to identify epidemiological links between cases. We determined the incubation period distribution in secondary cases. Survival analysis techniques were used to include secondary cases not yet symptomatic at diagnosis with weighting to adjust for lower capture probabilities of couples with longer time intervals between their diagnoses. In order to deal with missing data, we used multiple imputations. We identified 1095 epidemiologically linked secondary cases, attributed to 688 source cases with pulmonary TB. Of those developing disease within 15 years, the Kaplan-Meier probability to fall ill within 1 year was 45%, within 2 years 62% and within 5 years 83%. The incubation time was shorter in secondary cases who were men, young, those with extra-pulmonary TB and those not reporting previous TB or previous preventive therapy. Molecular epidemiological analysis has allowed a more precise description of the incubation period of TB than was possible in previous studies, including the identification of risk factors for shorter incubation periods.

Novel Methods to Determine Feeder Locational PV Hosting Capacity and PV Impact Signatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reno, Matthew J.; Coogan, Kyle; Seuss, John

Often PV hosting capacity analysis is performed for a limited number of distribution feeders. For medium - voltage distribution feeders, previous results generally analyze less than 20 feeders, and then the results are extrapolated out to similar types of feeders. Previous hosting capacity research has often focused on determining a single value for the hosting capacity for the entire feeder, whereas this research expands previous hosting capacity work to investigate all the regions of the feeder that may allow many different hosting capacity values wit h an idea called locational hosting capacity (LHC)to determine the largest PV size that canmore » be interconnected at different locations (buses) on the study feeders. This report discusses novel methods for analyzing PV interconnections with advanced simulati on methods. The focus is feeder and location - specific impacts of PV that determine the locational PV hosting capacity. Feeder PV impact signature are used to more precisely determine the local maximum hosting capacity of individual areas of the feeder. T he feeder signature provides improved interconnection screening with certain zones that show the risk of impact to the distribution feeder from PV interconnections.« less

Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moriarty, Katie; Howell, Betsy; Morozumi, Connor; Happe, Patti; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Aubry, Keith B.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously reported studies of carnivore distribution and presence on the Olympic Peninsula and conducted new surveys in previously undersampled areas of the Peninsula. We documented five highly reliable records of marten observations on the Pensula since 1988. Further, we established 197 camera stations in search of martens, amassing a total of 17,897 camera-nights of survey efforts in previously undersampled regions. We documented presence of one additional marten during summer 2016. This marten, however, was close to a marten detected in 2015, so it was not clear if it represented a different marten. We concluded that five to six martens have been verified present on the Olympic Peninsula since 1988. Pacific martens appear to be very limited in distribution and at critically low numbers throughout much of their former range on the Olympic Peninsula.

The γ-ray angular distribution in fast neutron inelastic scattering from iron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, Roland; Dietz, Mirco; Bemmerer, Daniel; Junghans, Arnd R.; Kögler, Toni; Massarczyk, Ralph; Müller, Stefan; Schmidt, Konrad; Schwengner, Ronald; Szücs, Tamás; Takács, Marcell P.; Wagner, Andreas

2018-04-01

The angular distribution of γ-rays emitted after inelastic scattering of fast neutrons from iron was determined at the n ELBE neutron time-of-flight facility. An iron sample of natural isotopic composition was irradiated by a continuous photo-neutron spectrum in the energy range from about 0.1 up to 10 MeV. The de-excitation γ-rays of the four lowest excited states of 56Fe and the first excited state of 54Fe were detected using a setup of five high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors and five LaBr3 scintillation detectors positioned around the sample at 30°, 55°, 90°, 125° and 150° with respect to the incoming neutron beam. The resulting angular distributions were fitted by Legendre polynomials up to 4th order and the angular distribution coefficients a2 and a4 were extracted. The angular distribution coefficients of three transitions in 56Fe are reported here for the first time. The results are applied to a previous measurement of the inelastic scattering cross section determined using a single HPGe detector positioned at 125°. Using the updated γ-ray angular distribution, the previous cross section results are in good agreement with reference data.

Model documentation Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution Model of the National Energy Modeling System. Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-02-26

The Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution Model (NGTDM) of the National Energy Modeling System is developed and maintained by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting. This report documents the archived version of the NGTDM that was used to produce the natural gas forecasts presented in the Annual Energy Outlook 1996, (DOE/EIA-0383(96)). The purpose of this report is to provide a reference document for model analysts, users, and the public that defines the objectives of the model, describes its basic approach, and provides detail on the methodology employed. Previously this report represented Volume I of amore » two-volume set. Volume II reported on model performance, detailing convergence criteria and properties, results of sensitivity testing, comparison of model outputs with the literature and/or other model results, and major unresolved issues.« less

Relevant incidental findings at abdominal multi-detector contrast-enhanced computed tomography: A collateral screening?

PubMed Central

Sconfienza, Luca Maria; Mauri, Giovanni; Muzzupappa, Claudia; Poloni, Alessandro; Bandirali, Michele; Esseridou, Anastassia; Tritella, Stefania; Secchi, Francesco; Di Leo, Giovanni; Sardanelli, Francesco

2015-01-01

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of relevant incidental findings (RIFs) detected during routine abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CeCT). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the reports of a consecutive series of abdominal CeCT studies performed between January and May 2013. For each report, patients’ age and sex, admission as inpatient or outpatient, clinical suspicion as indicated by the requesting physician, availability of a previous abdominal examination, and name of the reporting radiologist were recorded. Based on the clinical suspicion, the presence and features of any RIFs (if needing additional workup) was noted. RESULTS: One thousand forty abdominal CeCT were performed in 949 patients (528 males, mean age 66 ± 14 years). No significant difference was found between inpatients and outpatients age and sex distribution (P > 0.472). RIFs were found in 195/1040 (18.8%) CeCT [inpatients = 108/470 (23.0%); outpatients = 87/570 (15.2%); P = 0.002]. RIFs were found in 30/440 (6.8%) CeCT with a previous exam and in 165/600 (27.5%) without a previous exam (P < 0.001). Radiologists’ distribution between inpatients or outpatients was significantly different (P < 0.001). RIFs prevalence increased with aging, except for a peak in 40-49 year group. Most involved organs were kidneys, gallbladder, and lungs. CONCLUSION: A RIF is detected in 1/5 patients undergoing abdominal CeCT. Risk of overdiagnosis should be taken into account. PMID:26516432

Evolving Distributed Generation Support Mechanisms: Case Studies from United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and Australia (Chinese translation)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Shengru; Lowder, Travis R; Tian, Tian

This is the Chinese translation of NREL/TP-6A20-67613. This report expands on a previous National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) technical report (Lowder et al. 2015) that focused on the United States' unique approach to distributed generation photovoltaics (DGPV) support policies and business models. While the focus of that report was largely historical (i.e., detailing the policies and market developments that led to the growth of DGPV in the United States), this report looks forward, narrating recent changes to laws and regulations as well as the ongoing dialogues over how to incorporate distributed generation (DG) resources onto the electric grid. This reportmore » also broadens the scope of Lowder et al. (2015) to include additional countries and technologies. DGPV and storage are the principal technologies under consideration (owing to market readiness and deployment volumes), but the report also contemplates any generation resource that is (1) on the customer side of the meter, (2) used to, at least partly, offset a host's energy consumption, and/or (3) potentially available to provide grid support (e.g., through peak shaving and load shifting, ancillary services, and other means).« less

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 741 - Examples of Partial-Year NCUSIF Assessment and Distribution Calculations Under § 741.4

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... union had 1,000 insured shares for the end of month in December of the previous year (Year zero), 1,100... 31. 12 CFR 741.4(b)(6) (definition of “reporting period”). Main Street had $1,000 in insured shares... million as of June 30, it would have had semiannual reporting periods under § 741.4(b)(6), and its...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 741 - Examples of Partial-Year NCUSIF Assessment and Distribution Calculations Under § 741.4

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... union had 1,000 insured shares for the end of month in December of the previous year (Year zero), 1,100... 31. 12 CFR 741.4(b)(6) (definition of “reporting period”). Main Street had $1,000 in insured shares... million as of June 30, it would have had semiannual reporting periods under § 741.4(b)(6), and its...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 741 - Examples of Partial-Year NCUSIF Assessment and Distribution Calculations Under § 741.4

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... union had 1,000 insured shares for the end of month in December of the previous year (Year zero), 1,100... 31. 12 CFR 741.4(b)(6) (definition of “reporting period”). Main Street had $1,000 in insured shares... million as of June 30, it would have had semiannual reporting periods under § 741.4(b)(6), and its...

Nonconventional Remission of Miliaria rubra during Heat Acclimation: Case Report,

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

folliculitis , furunculosis, or anhidrotic heat exhaustion (1,2). Severe cases involve diurnal irritation, discomfort and isamnia to a degree that causes a...L/hr) in the heat. A skin biopsy (right scapula) on day 8 was negative for miliaria rubra but was positive for chronic folliculitis , which was...sparsely distributed over the skin. This finding supported previous reports that miliaria rubra may be a precursor of folliculitis (1,2). Daily entering

High Temperature Ceramic Guide Vane Temperature and Pressure Distribution Calculation for Flow with Cooling Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Rakesh

2004-01-01

A ceramic guide vane has been designed and tested for operation under high temperature. Previous efforts have suggested that some cooling flow may be required to alleviate the high temperatures observed near the trailing edge region. The present report describes briefly a three-dimensional viscous analysis carried out to calculate the temperature and pressure distribution on the blade surface and in the flow path with a jet of cooling air exiting from the suction surface near the trailing edge region. The data for analysis was obtained from Dr. Craig Robinson. The surface temperature and pressure distribution along with a flowfield distribution is shown in the results. The surface distribution is also given in a tabular form at the end of the document.

A statistical analysis of product prices in online markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuno, T.; Watanabe, T.

2010-08-01

We empirically investigate fluctuations in product prices in online markets by using a tick-by-tick price data collected from a Japanese price comparison site, and find some similarities and differences between product and asset prices. The average price of a product across e-retailers behaves almost like a random walk, although the probability of price increase/decrease is higher conditional on the multiple events of price increase/decrease. This is quite similar to the property reported by previous studies about asset prices. However, we fail to find a long memory property in the volatility of product price changes. Also, we find that the price change distribution for product prices is close to an exponential distribution, rather than a power law distribution. These two findings are in a sharp contrast with the previous results regarding asset prices. We propose an interpretation that these differences may stem from the absence of speculative activities in product markets; namely, e-retailers seldom repeat buy and sell of a product, unlike traders in asset markets.

“Terror Birds” (Phorusrhacidae) from the Eocene of Europe Imply Trans-Tethys Dispersal

PubMed Central

Angst, Delphine; Buffetaut, Eric; Lécuyer, Christophe; Amiot, Romain

2013-01-01

Background Phorusrhacidae was a clade including middle-sized to giant terrestrial carnivorous birds, known mainly from the Cenozoic of South America, but also occurring in the Plio-Pleistocene of North America and the Eocene of Africa. Previous reports of small phorusrhacids in the Paleogene of Europe have been dismissed as based on non-phorusrhacid material. Methodology we have re-examined specimens of large terrestrial birds from the Eocene (late Lutetian) of France and Switzerland previously referred to gastornithids and ratites and have identified them as belonging to a phorusrhacid for which the name Eleutherornis cotei should be used. Conclusions/Significance The occurrence of a phorusrhacid in the late Lutetian of Europe indicates that these flightless birds had a wider geographical distribution than previously recognized. The likeliest interpretation is that they dispersed from Africa, where the group is known in the Eocene, which implies crossing the Tethys Sea. The Early Tertiary distribution of phorusrhacids can be best explained by transoceanic dispersal, across both the South Atlantic and the Tethys. PMID:24312212

Clinical features and epidemiology of cryptococcosis in cats and dogs in California: 93 cases (1988-2010).

PubMed

Trivedi, Sameer R; Sykes, Jane E; Cannon, Matthew S; Wisner, Erik R; Meyer, Wieland; Sturges, Beverly K; Dickinson, Peter J; Johnson, Lynelle R

2011-08-01

To compare clinical features of cryptococcosis among cats and dogs in California, determine whether the distribution of involved tissues differs from distribution reported previously in a study in southeastern Australia, and identify Cryptococcus spp isolated from the study population. Retrospective case series. 62 cats and 31 dogs with cryptococcosis. Medical records of cats and dogs with cryptococcosis were reviewed. Information collected included geographic location, species, signalment, and tissues or organs involved. Cryptococcosis was confirmed via serology, cytology, histology, or microbial culture, and molecular typing was performed. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine significant associations among variables. Other comparisons were evaluated via χ(2) or unpaired t tests. American Cocker Spaniels were overrepresented, compared with other dog breeds. Serum cryptococcal antigen test results were positive in 51 of 53 cats and 15 of 18 dogs tested. Cryptococcus gattii was more commonly detected in cats (7/9 for which species identification was performed), and Cryptococcus neoformans was more commonly detected in dogs (6/8). Six of 7 C gattii isolates from cats were molecular type VGIII. Distribution of involved tissues was different between cats and dogs in California and between populations of the present study and those of the previously reported Australian study. Strains of Cryptococcus spp appeared to have host specificity in dogs and cats. Differences in lesion distribution between geographic locations may reflect strain differences or referral bias. Antigen assays alone may not be sufficient for diagnosis of cryptococcosis in cats and dogs.

Seven new species of the genus Xestoleberis (Ostracoda: Podocopida: Cytheroidea) from the Fiji Archipelago.

PubMed

Chand, Prerna; Kamiya, Takahiro

2016-12-18

The genus Xestoleberis has a global distribution, and although they are predominant in shallow marine environments adapted to both sediment and algal habitats, only two species of this genus, Xestoleberis curta (Brady, 1866) and Xestoleberis variegata Brady, 1880, have previously been reported from the Fiji archipelago. Herein we report seven new species of the genus Xestoleberis from intertidal environments of fringing reef flats of the Fiji Islands: Xestoleberis becca n. sp., Xestoleberis concava n. sp., Xestoleberis gracilariaii n. sp., Xestoleberis marcula n. sp., Xestoleberis natuvuensis n. sp., Xestoleberis penna n. sp. and Xestoleberis petrosa n. sp. With the exception of X. becca n. sp., Xestoleberis species show restricted distribution within Fijian waters. The possible causes for their distribution patterns are suggested to be physical barriers imposed by the fast flowing Bligh Water currents, and islands separated by deep ocean waters.

Designing a Clinical Dashboard to Fill Information Gaps in the Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Swartz, Jordan L.; Cimino, James J.; Fred, Matthew R.; Green, Robert A.; Vawdrey, David K.

2014-01-01

Data fragmentation within electronic health records causes gaps in the information readily available to clinicians. We investigated the information needs of emergency medicine clinicians in order to design an electronic dashboard to fill information gaps in the emergency department. An online survey was distributed to all emergency medicine physicians at a large, urban academic medical center. The survey response rate was 48% (52/109). The clinical information items reported to be most helpful while caring for patients in the emergency department were vital signs, electrocardiogram (ECG) reports, previous discharge summaries, and previous lab results. Brief structured interviews were also conducted with 18 clinicians during their shifts in the emergency department. From the interviews, three themes emerged: 1) difficulty accessing vital signs, 2) difficulty accessing point-of-care tests, and 3) difficulty comparing the current ECG with the previous ECG. An emergency medicine clinical dashboard was developed to address these difficulties. PMID:25954420

Designing a clinical dashboard to fill information gaps in the emergency department.

PubMed

Swartz, Jordan L; Cimino, James J; Fred, Matthew R; Green, Robert A; Vawdrey, David K

2014-01-01

Data fragmentation within electronic health records causes gaps in the information readily available to clinicians. We investigated the information needs of emergency medicine clinicians in order to design an electronic dashboard to fill information gaps in the emergency department. An online survey was distributed to all emergency medicine physicians at a large, urban academic medical center. The survey response rate was 48% (52/109). The clinical information items reported to be most helpful while caring for patients in the emergency department were vital signs, electrocardiogram (ECG) reports, previous discharge summaries, and previous lab results. Brief structured interviews were also conducted with 18 clinicians during their shifts in the emergency department. From the interviews, three themes emerged: 1) difficulty accessing vital signs, 2) difficulty accessing point-of-care tests, and 3) difficulty comparing the current ECG with the previous ECG. An emergency medicine clinical dashboard was developed to address these difficulties.

Bryophytes from Simeonof Island in the Shumagin Islands, southwestern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schofield, W.B.; Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S.L.

2004-01-01

Simeonof Island is located south of the Alaska Peninsula in the hyperoceanic sector of the middle boreal subzone. We examined the bryoflora of Simeonof Island to determine species composition in an area where no previous collections had been reported. This field study was conducted in sites selected to represent the spectrum of environmental variation within Simeonof Island. Data were analyzed using published reports to compare bryophyte distribution patterns at three levels, the Northern Hemisphere, North America, and Alaska. A total of 271 bryophytes were identified: 202 mosses and 69 liverworts. The annotated list of species for Simeonof Island expands the known range for many species and fills distribution gaps within Hulte??n's Western Pacific Coast district. Maps and notes on the distribution of 14 significant distribution records are presented. Compared with bryophyte distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the bryoflora of Simeonof Island primarily includes taxa of boreal (55%), temperate (20%), arctic (10%), and cosmopolitan (8%) distribution; 6% of the moss flora are western North America endemics. A description of the bryophytes present in the vegetation and habitat types is provided as is a quantitative analysis of the most frequently occurring bryophytes in crowberry heath.

Petroleum market shares. Progress report on the retailing of gasoline

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1974-08-06

The report is comprised of three major sections: data currently available from industry; data comparisons; and descriptions and rationale for an FEA market share monitoring program. The latter part of this report is a rationale and description of FEA's development of capabilities to monitor changes of both petroleum marketing and distribution. The objective is to provide an ongoing system that reliably measures market shares. Included in the text are discussions of: Previously reported data on gasoline sales; survey of nonbranded independent marketers; company direct sales and independent marketers; gasoline and diesel fuel; and other petroleum products. (GRA)

Managing School-Based Curriculum Innovations: A Hong Kong Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Law, Edmond H. F.; Wan, Sally W. Y.; Galton, Maurice; Lee, John C. K.

2010-01-01

This study was originally designed to explore the impact of a distributed approach to developing curriculum leadership among schoolteachers. Previous papers have focused on reporting evidence of teacher learning in the process of engaging teachers in various types of curriculum decision-making in an innovation project based on interview data. This…

Hecatera dysodea (Denis and Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) new to the state of Idaho

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Traps baited with a sex attractant were used to determine if the invasive noctuid moth Hecatera dysodea is generally distributed in the state of Idaho. The insect, which originated from Europe, utilizes species of Lactuca (lettuce) as a larval host. It was previously reported from northern Oregon ...

Distribution, genetic diversity and recombination analysis of Citrus tristeza virus of India

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates representing all the citrus growing geographical zones of India were analyzed for sequence of the 5'ORF1a fragments of the partial LProI domain and for the coat protein (CP) gene. The sequences were compared with previously reported Indian and CTV genotypes from...

The distribution of atrazine (ATR) and ATR metabolites in the Wistar rat following gestational/lactational exposures

EPA Science Inventory

Gestational/lactational exposure to ATR is reported to alter reproductive/developmental function, yet our understanding of the transfer of ATR and/or its metabolites from the dam to the fetus/offspring is limited. Previously we examined the lactational transfer of CI4-ATR, but sp...

Free to help? An experiment on free will belief and altruism.

PubMed

Harms, Job; Liket, Kellie; Protzko, John; Schölmerich, Vera

2017-01-01

How does belief in free will affect altruistic behavior? In an online experiment we undermine subjects' belief in free will through a priming task. Subjects subsequently conduct a series of binary dictator games in which they can distribute money between themselves and a charity that supports low-income people in developing countries. In each decision task, subjects choose between two different distributions, one of which is more generous towards the charity. In contrast to previous experiments that report a negative effect of undermining free will on honest behavior and self-reported willingness to help, we find an insignificant average treatment effect. However, we do find that our treatment reduces charitable giving among non-religious subjects, but not among religious subjects. This could be explained by our finding that religious subjects associate more strongly with social norms that prescribe helping the poor, and might therefore be less sensitive to the effect of reduced belief in free will. Taken together, these findings indicate that the effects of free will belief on prosocial behavior are more nuanced than previously suggested.

The photodissociation dynamics of alkyl radicals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giegerich, Jens; Fischer, Ingo, E-mail: ingo.fischer@uni-wuerzburg.de

2015-01-28

The photodisscociation dynamics of the alkyl radicals i-propyl (CH(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}) and t-butyl (C(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}) are investigated by H-atom photofragment imaging. While i-propyl is excited at 250 nm, the photodynamics of t-butyl are explored over a large energy range using excitation wavelengths between 347 nm and 233 nm. The results are compared to those obtained previously for ethyl, CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}, and to those reported for t-butyl using 248 nm excitation. The translational energy (E{sub T}) distribution of the H-atom photofragments is bimodal and appears rather similar for all three radicals. The low E{sub T} part of the distributionmore » shows an isotropic photofragment angular distribution, while the high E{sub T} part is associated with a considerable anisotropy. Thus, for t-butyl, two H-atom loss channels of roughly equal importance have been identified in addition to the CH{sub 3}-loss channel reported previously. A mechanism for the photodissociation of alkyl radicals is suggested that is based on interactions between Rydberg- and valence states.« less

Free to help? An experiment on free will belief and altruism

PubMed Central

Liket, Kellie; Protzko, John; Schölmerich, Vera

2017-01-01

How does belief in free will affect altruistic behavior? In an online experiment we undermine subjects’ belief in free will through a priming task. Subjects subsequently conduct a series of binary dictator games in which they can distribute money between themselves and a charity that supports low-income people in developing countries. In each decision task, subjects choose between two different distributions, one of which is more generous towards the charity. In contrast to previous experiments that report a negative effect of undermining free will on honest behavior and self-reported willingness to help, we find an insignificant average treatment effect. However, we do find that our treatment reduces charitable giving among non-religious subjects, but not among religious subjects. This could be explained by our finding that religious subjects associate more strongly with social norms that prescribe helping the poor, and might therefore be less sensitive to the effect of reduced belief in free will. Taken together, these findings indicate that the effects of free will belief on prosocial behavior are more nuanced than previously suggested. PMID:28282393

Anatomy of Sodium Hypochlorite Accidents Involving Facial Ecchymosis – A Review

PubMed Central

Zhu, Wan-chun; Gyamfi, Jacqueline; Niu, Li-na; Schoeffel, G. John; Liu, Si-ying; Santarcangelo, Filippo; Khan, Sara; Tay, Kelvin C-Y.; Pashley, David H.; Tay, Franklin R.

2013-01-01

Objectives Root canal treatment forms an essential part of general dental practice. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is the most commonly used irrigant in endodontics due to its ability to dissolve organic soft tissues in the root canal system and its action as a potent antimicrobial agent. Although NaOCl accidents created by extrusion of the irrigant through root apices are relatively rare and are seldom life-threatening, they do create substantial morbidity when they occur. Methods To date, NaOCl accidents have only been published as isolated case reports. Although previous studies have attempted to summarise the symptoms involved in these case reports, there was no endeavor to analyse the distribution of soft tissue distribution in those reports. In this review, the anatomy of a classical NaOCl accident that involves facial swelling and ecchymosis is discussed. Results By summarising the facial manifestations presented in previous case reports, a novel hypothesis that involves intravenous infusion of extruded NaOCl into the facial vein via non-collapsible venous sinusoids within the cancellous bone is presented. Conclusions Understanding the mechanism involved in precipitating a classic NaOCl accident will enable the profession to make the best decision regarding the choice of irrigant delivery techniques in root canal débridement, and for manufacturers to design and improve their irrigation systems to achieve maximum safety and efficient cleanliness of the root canal system. PMID:23994710

Anatomy of sodium hypochlorite accidents involving facial ecchymosis - a review.

PubMed

Zhu, Wan-chun; Gyamfi, Jacqueline; Niu, Li-na; Schoeffel, G John; Liu, Si-ying; Santarcangelo, Filippo; Khan, Sara; Tay, Kelvin C-Y; Pashley, David H; Tay, Franklin R

2013-11-01

Root canal treatment forms an essential part of general dental practice. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is the most commonly used irrigant in endodontics due to its ability to dissolve organic soft tissues in the root canal system and its action as a potent antimicrobial agent. Although NaOCl accidents created by extrusion of the irrigant through root apices are relatively rare and are seldom life-threatening, they do create substantial morbidity when they occur. To date, NaOCl accidents have only been published as isolated case reports. Although previous studies have attempted to summarise the symptoms involved in these case reports, there was no endeavour to analyse the distribution of soft tissue distribution in those reports. In this review, the anatomy of a classical NaOCl accident that involves facial swelling and ecchymosis is discussed. By summarising the facial manifestations presented in previous case reports, a novel hypothesis that involves intravenous infusion of extruded NaOCl into the facial vein via non-collapsible venous sinusoids within the cancellous bone is presented. Understanding the mechanism involved in precipitating a classic NaOCl accident will enable the profession to make the best decision regarding the choice of irrigant delivery techniques in root canal débridement, and for manufacturers to design and improve their irrigation systems to achieve maximum safety and efficient cleanliness of the root canal system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Stimulus Movement Effect: Allocation of Attention or Artifact?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washburn, David A.

1993-01-01

In previous reports, including one by the author, learning has been shown to benefit by having discriminanda move rather than remain stationary. This stimulus movement effect might be attributed to several theoretical mechanisms, including attention, topological memory, and exposure duration. The series of experiments reported in this article was designed to Contrast these potential explanatory factors. Ten rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were tested on a variety of computerized tasks in which the stimuli remained stationary, flashed, or moved at systematically varied speeds. Performance was significantly best when the sample stimulus moved quickly and was poorest when the stimulus remained stationary. Further analysis of these data and other previously published data revealed that the distribution of the stimulus movement effect across trials supported an attention allocation interpretation.

Field size, length, and width distributions based on LACIE ground truth data. [large area crop inventory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, D. E.; Badhwar, G.

1980-01-01

The development of agricultural remote sensing systems requires knowledge of agricultural field size distributions so that the sensors, sampling frames, image interpretation schemes, registration systems, and classification systems can be properly designed. Malila et al. (1976) studied the field size distribution for wheat and all other crops in two Kansas LACIE (Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment) intensive test sites using ground observations of the crops and measurements of their field areas based on current year rectified aerial photomaps. The field area and size distributions reported in the present investigation are derived from a representative subset of a stratified random sample of LACIE sample segments. In contrast to previous work, the obtained results indicate that most field-size distributions are not log-normally distributed. The most common field size observed in this study was 10 acres for most crops studied.

Distribution and morphological variation of Eleutherodactylus mercedesae Lynch & McDiarmid, 1987 (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae) with first record for Peru

USGS Publications Warehouse

Padial, J.M.; McDiarmid, R.; De la Riva, I.

2006-01-01

We report new distributional information for Eleutherodactylus mercedesae in Bolivia, and provide the first record for Peru based on an adult female. This species, previously endemic to Bolivia, now ranges across about 1000 km in cloud forests on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes from southern Peru to central Bolivia. We provide the first morphological description of females based on two specimens, compare them with the male type and paratype, add some observations to the original description, and comment on variation in the species.

Distributions of p-values smaller than .05 in psychology: what is going on?

PubMed Central

van Aert, Robbie C.M.; Nuijten, Michèle B.; Wicherts, Jelte M.; van Assen, Marcel A.L.M.

2016-01-01

Previous studies provided mixed findings on pecularities in p-value distributions in psychology. This paper examined 258,050 test results across 30,710 articles from eight high impact journals to investigate the existence of a peculiar prevalence of p-values just below .05 (i.e., a bump) in the psychological literature, and a potential increase thereof over time. We indeed found evidence for a bump just below .05 in the distribution of exactly reported p-values in the journals Developmental Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, but the bump did not increase over the years and disappeared when using recalculated p-values. We found clear and direct evidence for the QRP “incorrect rounding of p-value” (John, Loewenstein & Prelec, 2012) in all psychology journals. Finally, we also investigated monotonic excess of p-values, an effect of certain QRPs that has been neglected in previous research, and developed two measures to detect this by modeling the distributions of statistically significant p-values. Using simulations and applying the two measures to the retrieved test results, we argue that, although one of the measures suggests the use of QRPs in psychology, it is difficult to draw general conclusions concerning QRPs based on modeling of p-value distributions. PMID:27077017

A Critical Assessment of Officially Reported Chagas Disease Surveillance Data in Mexico

PubMed Central

Shelly, Ellen M.; Acuna-Soto, Rodolfo; Ernst, Kacey C.; Sterling, Charles R.

2016-01-01

Objective Chagas disease, a disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, disproportionately affects poor people throughout Latin America. In Mexico, assessments of officially reported burden have not been previously reported. To evaluate discontinuity between surveillance data and data from other sources, we used data from the Mexican Ministry of Health to describe the distribution of reported Chagas disease over time in Mexico and compare it with estimates from the literature. Methods We summarized age and sex differences for Chagas cases and mortality for 1995–2013 and 1982–2010, respectively. We examined the spatial distribution of Chagas disease over time with respect to disease burden. We further compared officially reported figures with estimates from the literature. Results Among 6,494 officially reported cases, rates of Chagas disease were highest in adults aged 25–44 years (47.3%). Mortality was highest in adults aged ≥45 years (423/495, 85.5%). The data indicated increasing temporal trends for incidence and mortality. The greatest burden occurred in southern states, with increasing spatial distribution over time. Fewer than 900 cases and 40 deaths were officially reported annually, in contrast to estimates from the literature of approximately 69,000 new cases and 25,000 deaths annually. Conclusion While increasing trends in officially reported data have been observed, large discrepancies in case estimates compromise our understanding of Chagas disease epidemiology. Reported cases based on current practices are not enough to correctly assess the Chagas disease burden and spatial distribution in Mexico. Understanding the true epidemiology of this disease will lead to more focused and successful control and prevention strategies to decrease disease burden. PMID:26843671

Intravenous strontium gluconate as a kinetic marker for calcium in healthy volunteers.

PubMed Central

Moraes, M E; Aronson, J K; Grahame-Smith, D G

1991-01-01

1. We have studied the pharmacokinetics of stable strontium in 10 healthy male volunteers. We gave each volunteer 5 mmol strontium gluconate by intravenous infusion over 1 h and measured strontium concentrations in plasma and urine samples for 20 days. The plasma strontium concentration vs time data for each volunteer were fitted by a triexponential function using NONLIN. Compartmental model-dependent and model-independent pharmacokinetic variables were then calculated. 2. The mean half-life we report (5.4 days) is longer than that previously reported (about 2 days), since we continued sampling for 20 days. However, the rates of clearance (CL 9.4 ml min-1. CLR 5.4 ml min-1, and CLNR 4.0 ml min-1) are similar to those previously reported, and the apparent volume of distribution at steady state (64 l) is similar to the values previously reported for the size of the exchangeable pool of both strontium and calcium. 3. The similarities in the pharmacokinetic behavior of strontium and calcium suggest that the in vivo disposition of strontium may be used as a marker of calcium disposition and for studying the effects of drugs such as the calcium antagonists. PMID:2049251

Gigantic oocytes in the deep sea black coral Dendrobathypathes grandis (Antipatharia) from the Mar del Plata submarine canyon area (southwestern Atlantic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauretta, Daniel; Penchaszadeh, Pablo E.

2017-10-01

The black coral Dendrobathypathes grandis (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) is studied for the first time in the southwestern Atlantic off Argentina. This is the only antipatharian reported from the Atlantic between 35°S and 54°S. Eleven specimens were collected at depths of 819-2204 m during three expeditions to the Mar del Plata submarine canyon (2012-2013); seven were females. The species is gonochoric, and the polyps in female colonies contain up to nine oocytes per polyp, which can reach 1500 μm in diameter. In contrast, the largest oocyte currently reported for antipatharians is 500 μm, and usual diameters do not exceed 200 μm. These large oocytes have over 20 times more volume than the biggest oocyte reported, but over 800 times more volume when compared with the common oocyte size of the group. Sperm size and morphology is similar to previous data from other species. As in previous studies, neither embryos nor larvae were found in any specimens. This species was previously only reported from waters off South Georgia Island, and so these specimens expand the known distribution north by 1800 km.

Patterns of Novel Alleles and Genotype/Phenotype Correlations Resulting from the Analysis of 108 Previously Undetected Mutations in Patients Affected by Neurofibromatosis Type I

PubMed Central

Bonatti, Francesco; Adorni, Alessia; Matichecchia, Annalisa; Mozzoni, Paola; Uliana, Vera; Pisani, Francesco; Garavelli, Livia; Graziano, Claudio; Gnoli, Maria; Bigoni, Stefania; Boschi, Elena; Martorana, Davide; Percesepe, Antonio

2017-01-01

Neurofibromatosis type I, a genetic disorder due to mutations in the NF1 gene, is characterized by a high mutation rate (about 50% of the cases are de novo) but, with the exception of whole gene deletions associated with a more severe phenotype, no specific hotspots and few solid genotype/phenotype correlations. After retrospectively re-evaluating all NF1 gene variants found in the diagnostic activity, we studied 108 patients affected by neurofibromatosis type I who harbored mutations that had not been previously reported in the international databases, with the aim of analyzing their type and distribution along the gene and of correlating them with the phenotypic features of the affected patients. Out of the 108 previously unreported variants, 14 were inherited by one of the affected parents and 94 were de novo. Twenty-nine (26.9%) mutations were of uncertain significance, whereas 79 (73.2%) were predicted as pathogenic or probably pathogenic. No differential distribution in the exons or in the protein domains was observed and no statistically significant genotype/phenotype correlation was found, confirming previous evidences. PMID:28961165

Anatomic variations of the branches of the aortic arch in a Peruvian population.

PubMed

Huapaya, Julio Arturo; Chávez-Trujillo, Kristhy; Trelles, Miguel; Dueñas Carbajal, Roy; Ferrandiz Espadin, Renato

2015-07-31

Previous publications from two countries in South America found one anatomical variation not previously reported in the rest of the world, which in turn give some clues with regard to a racial difference. The objective of the present study is to describe variations in the anatomical distribution of the branches of the aortic arch in a Peruvian population. To describe variations in the anatomical distribution of the branches of the aortic arch in a Peruvian population. A descriptive study of patients who underwent a tomography angiography of the aorta was performed. We analyzed the reports that showed the description of the variations of the branches of the aortic arch based on the eight types currently described in the literature. From 361 analyzed reports, 282 patients (78.12%) had a normal aortic arch configuration (type I; aortic arch gives rise to the brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid and left subclavian arteries); followed by type II (left common carotid artery as a branch of the aorta) with 41 patients (11.36%); and type IX (common ostium for the brachiocephalic trunk and the left common carotid artery) with 25 patients (6.93%). The latter and two other types are new variations. Aortic Arch Type I, Type II and Type IX were the most frequent variations in this Peruvian study. Additionally, we also found two more new types that have not been previously described in the literature. Further investigation regarding these variations is needed in order to assess a racial factor in South America and possible relationships with clinical or surgical events.

The Molecular Dissection of mtDNA Haplogroup H Confirms That the Franco-Cantabrian Glacial Refuge Was a Major Source for the European Gene Pool

PubMed Central

Achilli, Alessandro; Rengo, Chiara; Magri, Chiara; Battaglia, Vincenza; Olivieri, Anna; Scozzari, Rosaria; Cruciani, Fulvio; Zeviani, Massimo; Briem, Egill; Carelli, Valerio; Moral, Pedro; Dugoujon, Jean-Michel; Roostalu, Urmas; Loogväli, Eva-Liis; Kivisild, Toomas; Bandelt, Hans-Jürgen; Richards, Martin; Villems, Richard; Santachiara-Benerecetti, A. Silvana; Semino, Ornella; Torroni, Antonio

2004-01-01

Complete sequencing of 62 mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) belonging (or very closely related) to haplogroup H revealed that this mtDNA haplogroup—by far the most common in Europe—is subdivided into numerous subhaplogroups, with at least 15 of them (H1–H15) identifiable by characteristic mutations. All the haplogroup H mtDNAs found in 5,743 subjects from 43 populations were then screened for diagnostic markers of subhaplogroups H1 and H3. This survey showed that both subhaplogroups display frequency peaks, centered in Iberia and surrounding areas, with distributions declining toward the northeast and southeast—a pattern extremely similar to that previously reported for mtDNA haplogroup V. Furthermore, the coalescence ages of H1 and H3 (∼11,000 years) are close to that previously reported for V. These findings have major implications for the origin of Europeans, since they attest that the Franco-Cantabrian refuge area was indeed the source of late-glacial expansions of hunter-gatherers that repopulated much of Central and Northern Europe from ∼15,000 years ago. This has also some implications for disease studies. For instance, the high occurrence of H1 and H3 in Iberia led us to re-evaluate the haplogroup distribution in 50 Spanish families affected by nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness due to the A1555G mutation. The survey revealed that the previously reported excess of H among these families is caused entirely by H3 and is due to a major, probably nonrecent, founder event. PMID:15382008

Computerized commodity management system in Thailand and Brazil.

PubMed

1984-01-01

Thailand's National Family Planning Program is testing a computerized contraceptive commodity reporting management in 4 provinces with 104 National Family Planning Program (NFPP) reporting entities. Staff in the Brazilian Association of Family Planning Entities (ABEPF) and CPAIMC, a major family planning service agency, have been trained in the use of a computerized commodity distribution management system and are ready to initiate test use. The systems were designed in response to specific commodity management needs of the concerned organizations. Neither distribution program functions as a contraceptive social marketing (CSM) program, but each system reviewed has aspects that are relevant to CSM commodity management needs. Both the Thai and Brazilian systems were designed to be as automatic and user friendly as possible. Both have 3 main databases and perform similar management and reporting functions. Differing program configurations and basic data forms reflect the specific purposes of each system. Databases for the logistics monitoring system in Thailand arethe reporting entity (or ID) file; the current month's data file; and the master balance file. The data source is the basic reporting form that also serves as a Request and Issue Voucher for commodities. Editing functions in the program check to see that the current "beginning balance" equals the previous month's ending balance. Indexing functions in the system allow direct access to the records of any reporting entity via the ID number, as well as the sequential processing of records by ID number. 6 reports can be generated: status report by issuing entity; status report by dispensing entity; aggregate status report; out of compliance products report; out of compliance outlets report; and suggested shipment to regional warehouse report. Databases for the distribution management system in Brazil are: the name-ID (client institution) file; the product file; and the data file. The data source is an order form that contains a client code similar to the code used in Thailand. An interrogative data entry program enhances the management function of the system. 8 reports can be individually issued: a status report on back orders by product; a status report on back orders by institution and product; a historical report of year to date shipments and value by product; a historical report of year to date shipments by client and product; year to date payment reports from each client; outstanding invoices by month for the previous 12 months; a product report showing the amount of each product or order with outstanding invoices; and a stock position report.

Status, distribution and morphometric/meristic characteristics of Cobitis elongata Heckel et Kner 1858 from Slovenia.

PubMed

Povz, Meta; Sumer, Suzana

2003-01-01

Cobitis elongata Heckel et Kner inhabits the rivers Sava, Kolpa, Krka, Gracnica and Hudinja (the Danube river basin). The species is common in its distribution area. In the Red List of endangered Pisces and Cyclostomata in Slovenia, it is classified as endangered. Status and distribution data of the species from previous reports and recent research were summarized. A total of 31 specimens from the river Kolpa were morphologically studied. Sixteen morphometric and four meristic characteristics were analysed using standard numerical taxonomic techniques. 99.8% of the total variation of standard length was explained by preanal distance, dorsal and ventral fin lengths as well as minimum body height.

Long-distance continuous-variable quantum key distribution by controlling excess noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Duan; Huang, Peng; Lin, Dakai; Zeng, Guihua

2016-01-01

Quantum cryptography founded on the laws of physics could revolutionize the way in which communication information is protected. Significant progresses in long-distance quantum key distribution based on discrete variables have led to the secure quantum communication in real-world conditions being available. However, the alternative approach implemented with continuous variables has not yet reached the secure distance beyond 100 km. Here, we overcome the previous range limitation by controlling system excess noise and report such a long distance continuous-variable quantum key distribution experiment. Our result paves the road to the large-scale secure quantum communication with continuous variables and serves as a stepping stone in the quest for quantum network.

Long-distance continuous-variable quantum key distribution by controlling excess noise.

PubMed

Huang, Duan; Huang, Peng; Lin, Dakai; Zeng, Guihua

2016-01-13

Quantum cryptography founded on the laws of physics could revolutionize the way in which communication information is protected. Significant progresses in long-distance quantum key distribution based on discrete variables have led to the secure quantum communication in real-world conditions being available. However, the alternative approach implemented with continuous variables has not yet reached the secure distance beyond 100 km. Here, we overcome the previous range limitation by controlling system excess noise and report such a long distance continuous-variable quantum key distribution experiment. Our result paves the road to the large-scale secure quantum communication with continuous variables and serves as a stepping stone in the quest for quantum network.

Long-distance continuous-variable quantum key distribution by controlling excess noise

PubMed Central

Huang, Duan; Huang, Peng; Lin, Dakai; Zeng, Guihua

2016-01-01

Quantum cryptography founded on the laws of physics could revolutionize the way in which communication information is protected. Significant progresses in long-distance quantum key distribution based on discrete variables have led to the secure quantum communication in real-world conditions being available. However, the alternative approach implemented with continuous variables has not yet reached the secure distance beyond 100 km. Here, we overcome the previous range limitation by controlling system excess noise and report such a long distance continuous-variable quantum key distribution experiment. Our result paves the road to the large-scale secure quantum communication with continuous variables and serves as a stepping stone in the quest for quantum network. PMID:26758727

School Finance Reform in New Mexico, 1974. An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, Jim

This report provides an overview of the State school aid distribution plan passed by the New Mexico legislature in 1974. The previous school finance plan, passed in 1969, and the problems school districts experienced under that plan are briefly described, followed by a discussion of the 1974 legislation. The new plan is a weighted-pupil formula…

Particle distributions in approximately 10(14) 10(16) eV air shower cores at sea level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodson, A. L.; Ash, A. G.; Bull, R. M.

1985-01-01

Experimental evidence is reported for fixed distances (0, 1.0, 2.5 and 4.0 m) from the shower centers and for core flattening. The cores become flatter, on average, as the shower size (primary energy) increases. With improved statistics on 4192 cores, the previous results are exactly confirmed.

Preliminary Geologic Map of the Buxton 7.5' Quadrangle, Washington County, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinterman, Philip A.; Duvall, Alison R.

2009-01-01

This map, compiled from previously published and unpublished data, and new mapping by the authors, represents the general distribution of bedrock and surficial deposits of the Buxton 7.5-minute quadrangle. The database delineates map units that are identified by general age and lithology following the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. The scale of the source maps limits the spatial resolution (scale) of the database to 1:24,000 or smaller. This plot file and accompanying database depict the distribution of geologic materials and structures at a regional (1:24,000) scale. The report is intended to provide geologic information for the regional study of materials properties, earthquake shaking, landslide potential, mineral hazards, seismic velocity, and earthquake faults. In addition, the report contains new information and interpretations about the regional geologic history and framework. However, the regional scale of this report does not provide sufficient detail for site development purposes.

Group A streptococcal meningitis: emm type distribution and theoretical vaccine coverage in children.

PubMed

Tuerlinckx, David; Gueulette, Emmanuelle; Loens, Katherine; Goossens, Herman; Smeesters, Pierre Robert

2016-06-01

As group A Streptococcus (GAS) meningitis is seldom reported in children, emm-type distribution data are scare. We report eight cases of GAS meningitis in Belgium (2008-2013) and compare molecular characteristics of our strains with a further 55 cases previously reported with their corresponding emm-types. emm1 type was the most frequent (24%) followed by emm6 (11%), emm12 (11%) and emm3 (6%). Together these four emm-types accounted for 52% of the cases, while the rest of the cases are due to 24 different emm-types. These 28 emm-types associated with GAS meningitis belonged to 16 different emm-clusters suggesting that there is no propensity for particular emm-types or emm-cluster to cause meningitis. Theoretical coverage of the 30-valent vaccine candidate would be 77.8% (49/63 isolates) among children with GAS meningitis.

A system for distributed intrusion detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snapp, S.R.; Brentano, J.; Dias, G.V.

1991-01-01

The study of providing security in computer networks is a rapidly growing area of interest because the network is the medium over which most attacks or intrusions on computer systems are launched. One approach to solving this problem is the intrusion-detection concept, whose basic premise is that not only abandoning the existing and huge infrastructure of possibly-insecure computer and network systems is impossible, but also replacing them by totally-secure systems may not be feasible or cost effective. Previous work on intrusion-detection systems were performed on stand-alone hosts and on a broadcast local area network (LAN) environment. The focus of ourmore » present research is to extend our network intrusion-detection concept from the LAN environment to arbitarily wider areas with the network topology being arbitrary as well. The generalized distributed environment is heterogeneous, i.e., the network nodes can be hosts or servers from different vendors, or some of them could be LAN managers, like our previous work, a network security monitor (NSM), as well. The proposed architecture for this distributed intrusion-detection system consists of the following components: a host manager in each host; a LAN manager for monitoring each LAN in the system; and a central manager which is placed at a single secure location and which receives reports from various host and LAN managers to process these reports, correlate them, and detect intrusions. 11 refs., 2 figs.« less

Comparison of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human, food, veterinary and environmental sources in Iceland using PFGE, MLST and fla-SVR sequencing.

PubMed

Magnússon, S H; Guðmundsdóttir, S; Reynisson, E; Rúnarsson, A R; Harðardóttir, H; Gunnarson, E; Georgsson, F; Reiersen, J; Marteinsson, V Th

2011-10-01

Campylobacter jejuni isolates from various sources in Iceland were genotyped with the aim of assessing the genetic diversity, population structure, source distribution and campylobacter transmission routes to humans. A collection of 584 Campylobacter isolates were collected from clinical cases, food, animals and environment in Iceland in 1999-2002, during a period of national Campylobacter epidemic in Iceland. All isolates were characterized by pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and selected subset of 52 isolates representing the diversity of the identified PFGE types was further genotyped using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and fla-SVR sequencing to gain better insight into the population structure. The results show a substantial diversity within the Icelandic Campylobacter population. Majority of the human Campylobacter infections originated from domestic chicken and cattle isolates. MLST showed the isolates to be distributed among previously reported and common sequence type complexes in the MLST database. The genotyping of Campylobacter from various sources has not previously been reported from Iceland, and the results of the study gave a valuable insight into the population structure of Camp. jejuni in Iceland, source distribution and transmission routes to humans. The geographical isolation of Iceland in the north Atlantic provides new information on Campylobacter population dynamics on a global scale. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology No claim to Icelandic Government works.

Industrial Exploitation of a Alternate Technology for the Production of HgCdTe Epilayers, Structures and Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-14

be explained by nonuniform distribution of carriers. The incorporation of indium, during growth, which is reported hereafter has been carried out not...than n-on-p junctions for LWIR photodiodes14 . One important advantage of this configuration is the easier control of low doping (101" cm-3 range) in...program. These characteristics are least as good if not better than those previously reported about LWIR HgCdTe material grown on the production line at

Water resources data for New Mexico, water year 1966; Part 1. Surface water records

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1967-01-01

by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports is limited and primarily for local needs. The records will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided.

Comment on ``Wealth condensation in Pareto macroeconomies''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ding-Wei

2003-10-01

In a recent study of the Pareto macroeconomy [Phys. Rev. E 65, 026102 (2002)], a surprising deviation to the power law distribution of the large wealths is reported. We comment that such a “corruption” phenomenon can be reproduced in a much simplified framework. The corruption disappears when the small wealths are further included in a mean-field treatment. The constraint of the total-wealth conservation leads to a cutoff in the power-law tail, in contrast to the prominent enhancement reported previously.

Late-seasonal activity and diet of the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) in Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geluso, Keith; Damm, J.P.; Valdez, E.W.

2008-01-01

In North America, Nebraska represents part of the northwestern edge of the distribution for the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). To date, little information on this bat's natural history has been published from the state or from other parts of the Great Plains. Here we report on aspects of its natural history in Nebraska from 2 localities. In late summer and early autumn of 2006, we documented individuals farther west in Nebraska (Harlan County) than previously reported and determined that individuals fed mainly on Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. In 2006, evening bats appeared to migrate from Nebraska during late September-early October, and individuals were extremely fat, about 15 g, prior to migration. Evening bats likely are more widespread and common in south central Nebraska than previously documented. On 6 October 2005, we reported on an individual from eastern Nebraska (Douglas County), which represents the latest seasonal record of N. humeralis from the state.

A review of the family Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Egypt, with thirty three new records.

PubMed

Gadallah, Neveen S; Yefremova, Zoya A; Yegorenkova, Ekaterina N; Soliman, Ahmed M; El-Ghiet, Usama M Abu; Edmardash, Yusuf A; Edmardash, Yusuf A

2015-12-15

A checklist of Eulophidae (excluding Entiinae) is presented based primarily on a total of 155 specimens collected from 23 localities in Egypt during the period of April 2012 to June 2014, mostly by sweep net. Altogether, 55 species in 22 genera and 3 subfamilies (Entedoninae, Eulophinae and Tetrastichinae) are recorded, of which 6 genera (Dicladocerus Westwood, Euplectrus Westwood, Entedon Dalman, Neotrichoporoides Girault, Sigmophora Rondani and Sympiesis Förster) and 33 species (60%) are newly reported for Egypt. The valid name and world distribution of each species are given; local distributions and host records for species previously recorded from Egypt are also given. Most of the species have a distribution characterized as Palaearctic, Afrotropical, or Indo-Malayan. About 4% are cosmopolitan in distribution.

Multi-kw dc power distribution system study program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkery, E. A.; Krausz, A.

1974-01-01

The first phase of the Multi-kw dc Power Distribution Technology Program is reported and involves the test and evaluation of a technology breadboard in a specifically designed test facility according to design concepts developed in a previous study on space vehicle electrical power processing, distribution, and control. The static and dynamic performance, fault isolation, reliability, electromagnetic interference characterisitics, and operability factors of high distribution systems were studied in order to gain a technology base for the use of high voltage dc systems in future aerospace vehicles. Detailed technical descriptions are presented and include data for the following: (1) dynamic interactions due to operation of solid state and electromechanical switchgear; (2) multiplexed and computer controlled supervision and checkout methods; (3) pulse width modulator design; and (4) cable design factors.

New parton distributions from large-x and low-Q 2 data

DOE PAGES

Alberto Accardi; Christy, M. Eric; Keppel, Cynthia E.; ...

2010-02-11

We report results of a new global next-to-leading order fit of parton distribution functions in which cuts on W and Q are relaxed, thereby including more data at high values of x. Effects of target mass corrections (TMCs), higher twist contributions, and nuclear corrections for deuterium data are significant in the large-x region. The leading twist parton distributions are found to be stable to TMC model variations as long as higher twist contributions are also included. Furthermore, the behavior of the d quark as x → 1 is particularly sensitive to the deuterium corrections, and using realistic nuclear smearing modelsmore » the d-quark distribution at large x is found to be softer than in previous fits performed with more restrictive cuts.« less

A significant upward shift in plant species optimum elevation during the 20th century.

PubMed

Lenoir, J; Gégout, J C; Marquet, P A; de Ruffray, P; Brisse, H

2008-06-27

Spatial fingerprints of climate change on biotic communities are usually associated with changes in the distribution of species at their latitudinal or altitudinal extremes. By comparing the altitudinal distribution of 171 forest plant species between 1905 and 1985 and 1986 and 2005 along the entire elevation range (0 to 2600 meters above sea level) in west Europe, we show that climate warming has resulted in a significant upward shift in species optimum elevation averaging 29 meters per decade. The shift is larger for species restricted to mountain habitats and for grassy species, which are characterized by faster population turnover. Our study shows that climate change affects the spatial core of the distributional range of plant species, in addition to their distributional margins, as previously reported.

Modeling of GE Appliances: Cost Benefit Study of Smart Appliances in Wholesale Energy, Frequency Regulation, and Spinning Reserve Markets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuller, Jason C.; Parker, Graham B.

This report is the second in a series of three reports describing the potential of GE’s DR-enabled appliances to provide benefits to the utility grid. The first report described the modeling methodology used to represent the GE appliances in the GridLAB-D simulation environment and the estimated potential for peak demand reduction at various deployment levels. The third report will explore the technical capability of aggregated group actions to positively impact grid stability, including frequency and voltage regulation and spinning reserves, and the impacts on distribution feeder voltage regulation, including mitigation of fluctuations caused by high penetration of photovoltaic distributed generation.more » In this report, a series of analytical methods were presented to estimate the potential cost benefit of smart appliances while utilizing demand response. Previous work estimated the potential technical benefit (i.e., peak reduction) of smart appliances, while this report focuses on the monetary value of that participation. The effects on wholesale energy cost and possible additional revenue available by participating in frequency regulation and spinning reserve markets were explored.« less

Biogeography of Wood-Boring Crustaceans (Isopoda: Limnoriidae) Established in European Coastal Waters

PubMed Central

Borges, Luísa M. S.; Merckelbach, Lucas M.; Cragg, Simon M.

2014-01-01

Marine wood-borers of the Limnoriidae cause great destruction to wooden structures exposed in the marine environment. In this study we collated occurrence data obtained from field surveys, spanning over a period of 10 years, and from an extensive literature review. We aimed to determine which wood-boring limnoriid species are established in European coastal waters; to map their past and recent distribution in Europe in order to infer species range extension or contraction; to determine species environmental requirements using climatic envelopes. Of the six species of wood-boring Limnoria previously reported occurring in Europe, only Limnoria lignorum, L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata are established in European coastal waters. L. carinata and L. tuberculata have uncertain established status, whereas L. borealis is not established in European waters. The species with the widest distribution in Europe is Limnoria lignorum, which is also the most tolerant species to a range of salinities. L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata appear to be stenohaline. However, the present study shows that both L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata are more widespread in Europe than previous reports suggested. Both species have been found occurring in Europe since they were described, and their increased distribution is probably the results of a range expansion. On the other hand L. lignorum appears to be retreating poleward with ocean warming. In certain areas (e.g. southern England, and southern Portugal), limnoriids appear to be very abundant and their activity is rivalling that of teredinids. Therefore, it is important to monitor the distribution and destructive activity of these organisms in Europe. PMID:25313796

Biogeography of wood-boring crustaceans (Isopoda: Limnoriidae) established in European coastal waters.

PubMed

Borges, Luísa M S; Merckelbach, Lucas M; Cragg, Simon M

2014-01-01

Marine wood-borers of the Limnoriidae cause great destruction to wooden structures exposed in the marine environment. In this study we collated occurrence data obtained from field surveys, spanning over a period of 10 years, and from an extensive literature review. We aimed to determine which wood-boring limnoriid species are established in European coastal waters; to map their past and recent distribution in Europe in order to infer species range extension or contraction; to determine species environmental requirements using climatic envelopes. Of the six species of wood-boring Limnoria previously reported occurring in Europe, only Limnoria lignorum, L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata are established in European coastal waters. L. carinata and L. tuberculata have uncertain established status, whereas L. borealis is not established in European waters. The species with the widest distribution in Europe is Limnoria lignorum, which is also the most tolerant species to a range of salinities. L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata appear to be stenohaline. However, the present study shows that both L. quadripunctata and L. tripunctata are more widespread in Europe than previous reports suggested. Both species have been found occurring in Europe since they were described, and their increased distribution is probably the results of a range expansion. On the other hand L. lignorum appears to be retreating poleward with ocean warming. In certain areas (e.g. southern England, and southern Portugal), limnoriids appear to be very abundant and their activity is rivalling that of teredinids. Therefore, it is important to monitor the distribution and destructive activity of these organisms in Europe.

Distribution of iodine into blood components of the Sprague-Dawley rat differs with the chemical form administered

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thrall, K. D.; Bull, R. J.; Sauer, R. L.

1992-01-01

It has been reported previously that radioactivity derived from iodine distributes differently in the Sprague-Dawley rat depending on the chemical form administered (Thrall and Bull, 1990). In the present communication we report the differential distribution of radioactivity derived from iodine (I2) and iodide (I-) into blood components. Twice as much radioiodine is in the form of I- in the plasma of animals treated with 125I- compared to 125I2-treated rats. No I2 could be detected in the plasma. With an increase in dose, increasing amounts of radioactivity derived from 125I2-treated animals distribute to whole blood compared to equivalent doses of 125I-, reaching a maxima at a dose of 15.8 mumol I/kg body weight. Most of the radioactivity derived from I2 associates with serum proteins and lipids, in particular with albumin and cholesteryl iodide. These data indicate a differential distribution of radioactivity depending on whether it is administered as iodide or iodine. This is inconsistent with the commonly held view that iodine (I2) is reduced to iodide (I-) before it is absorbed systemically from the gastrointestinal tract.

Final Report for the Development of the NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Michael L.

2005-01-01

The author performed a variety of research, development and consulting tasks for NASA Langley Research Center in the area of digital libraries (DLs) and supporting technologies, such as the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). In particular, the development focused on the NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS) and its transition from a distributed searching model to one that uses the OAI-PMH. The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) is an international consortium focused on furthering the interoperability of DLs through the use of "metadata harvesting". The OAI-PMH version of NTRS went into public production on April 28, 2003. Since that time, it has been extremely well received. In addition to providing the NTRS user community with a higher level of service than the previous, distributed searching version of NTRS, it has provided more insight into how the user community uses NTRS in a variety of deployment scenarios. This report details the design, implementation and maintenance of the NTRS. Source code is included in the appendices.

Disseminated Autochthonous Dermal Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania siamensis (PCM2 Trang) in a Patient from Central Thailand Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

PubMed

Supsrisunjai, Chavalit; Kootiratrakarn, Tanawatt; Puangpet, Pailin; Bunnag, Thareena; Chaowalit, Prapaipit; Wessagowit, Vesarat

2017-05-01

AbstractSeveral case reports of autochthonous leishmaniasis in Thailand have been published since 1996. Most of the previous cases presented with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and were mostly reported in southern part of Thailand. Recently, it has been evident that Leishmania martiniquensis is the main cause of Leishmania infection in Thailand. However, Leishmania siamensis (PCM2 Trang isolate) was found to be of a separate lineage with restricted distribution in southern Thailand and also a cause of disseminated dermal and visceral leishmaniasis in one published case. Here we report the first patient from central Thailand with human immunodeficiency virus infection presenting with disseminated dermal leishmaniasis. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analysis (large subunit of RNA polymerase II and 18S ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer 1) from the tissue biopsy sample revealed the pathogen sequences to be highly homologous to PCM2 Trang strain previously reported from southern Thailand.

Disseminated Autochthonous Dermal Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania siamensis (PCM2 Trang) in a Patient from Central Thailand Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

PubMed Central

Supsrisunjai, Chavalit; Kootiratrakarn, Tanawatt; Puangpet, Pailin; Bunnag, Thareena; Chaowalit, Prapaipit; Wessagowit, Vesarat

2017-01-01

Several case reports of autochthonous leishmaniasis in Thailand have been published since 1996. Most of the previous cases presented with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and were mostly reported in southern part of Thailand. Recently, it has been evident that Leishmania martiniquensis is the main cause of Leishmania infection in Thailand. However, Leishmania siamensis (PCM2 Trang isolate) was found to be of a separate lineage with restricted distribution in southern Thailand and also a cause of disseminated dermal and visceral leishmaniasis in one published case. Here we report the first patient from central Thailand with human immunodeficiency virus infection presenting with disseminated dermal leishmaniasis. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analysis (large subunit of RNA polymerase II and 18S ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer 1) from the tissue biopsy sample revealed the pathogen sequences to be highly homologous to PCM2 Trang strain previously reported from southern Thailand. PMID:28138050

County-Scale Distribution of Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Continental United States

PubMed Central

Eisen, Rebecca J.; Eisen, Lars; Beard, Charles B.

2016-01-01

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, is the primary vector to humans in the eastern United States of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, as well as causative agents of anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Its close relative in the far western United States, the western blacklegged tick Ixodes pacificus Cooley and Kohls, is the primary vector to humans in that region of the Lyme disease and anaplasmosis agents. Since 1991, when standardized surveillance and reporting began, Lyme disease case counts have increased steadily in number and in geographical distribution in the eastern United States. Similar trends have been observed for anaplasmosis and babesiosis. To better understand the changing landscape of risk of human exposure to disease agents transmitted by I. scapularis and I. pacificus, and to document changes in their recorded distribution over the past two decades, we updated the distribution of these species from a map published in 1998. The presence of I. scapularis has now been documented from 1,420 (45.7%) of the 3,110 continental United States counties, as compared with 111 (3.6%) counties for I. pacificus. Combined, these vectors of B. burgdorferi and other disease agents now have been identified in a total of 1,531 (49.2%) counties spread across 43 states. This marks a 44.7% increase in the number of counties that have recorded the presence of these ticks since the previous map was presented in 1998, when 1,058 counties in 41 states reported the ticks to be present. Notably, the number of counties in which I. scapularis is considered established (six or more individuals or one or more life stages identified in a single year) has more than doubled since the previous national distribution map was published nearly two decades ago. The majority of county status changes occurred in the North-Central and Northeastern states, whereas the distribution in the South remained fairly stable. Two previously distinct foci for I. scapularis in the Northeast and North-Central states appear to be merging in the Ohio River Valley to form a single contiguous focus. Here we document a shifting landscape of risk for human exposure to medically important ticks and point to areas of re-emergence where enhanced vector surveillance and control may be warranted. PMID:26783367

Ethnic distribution of ECG predictors of atrial fibrillation and its impact on understanding the ethnic distribution of ischemic stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

PubMed

Soliman, Elsayed Z; Prineas, Ronald J; Case, L Douglas; Zhang, Zhu-ming; Goff, David C

2009-04-01

The paradox of the reported low prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in blacks compared with whites despite higher stroke rates in the former could be related to limitations in the current methods used to diagnose AF in population-based studies. Hence, this study aimed to use the ethnic distribution of ECG predictors of AF as measures of AF propensity in different ethnic groups. The distribution of baseline measures of P-wave terminal force, P-wave duration, P-wave area, and PR duration (referred to as AF predictors) were compared by ethnicity in 15 429 participants (27% black) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study by unpaired t test, chi(2), and logistic-regression analysis, as appropriate. Cox proportional-hazards analysis was used to separately examine the association of AF predictors with incident AF and ischemic stroke. Whereas AF was significantly less common in blacks compared with whites (0.24% vs 0.95%, P<0.0001), similar to what has been reported in previous studies, blacks had significantly higher and more abnormal values of AF predictors (P<0.0001 for all comparisons). Black ethnicity was significantly associated with abnormal AF predictors compared with whites; odds ratios for different AF predictors ranged from 2.1 to 3.1. AF predictors were significantly and independently associated with AF and ischemic stroke with no significant interaction between ethnicity and AF predictors, findings that further justify using AF predictors as an earlier indicator of future risk of AF and stroke. There is a disconnect between the ethnic distribution of AF predictors and the ethnic distribution of AF, probably because the former, unlike the latter, do not suffer from low sensitivity. These results raise the possibility that blacks might actually have a higher prevalence of AF that might have been missed by previous studies owing to limited methodology, a difference that could partially explain the greater stroke risk in blacks.

Accidental hazardous material releases with human impacts in the United States: exploration of geographical distribution and temporal trends.

PubMed

Sengul, Hatice; Santella, Nicholas; Steinberg, Laura J; Chermak, Christina

2010-09-01

To investigate the circumstances and geographic and temporal distributions of hazardous material releases and resulting human impacts in the United States. Releases with fatalities, injuries, and evacuations were identified from reports to the National Response Center between 1990 and 2008, correcting for data quality issues identified in previous studies. From more than 550,000 reports, 861 deaths, 16,348 injuries and 741,427 evacuations were identified. Injuries from releases of chemicals at fixed facilities and natural gas from pipelines have decreased whereas evacuations from petroleum releases at fixed facilities have increased. Results confirm recent advances in chemical and pipeline safety and suggest directions for further improvement including targeted training and inspections and adoption of inherently safer design principles.

Spatio-temporal pattern of sylvatic rabies in the Sultanate of Oman, 2006-2010.

PubMed

Hussain, Muhammad Hammad; Ward, Michael P; Body, Mohammed; Al-Rawahi, Abdulmajeed; Wadir, Ali Awlad; Al-Habsi, Saif; Saqib, Muhammad; Ahmed, Mohammed Sayed; Almaawali, Mahir Gharib

2013-07-01

Rabies was first reported in the Sultanate of Oman is 1990. We analysed passive surveillance data (444 samples) collected and reported between 2006 and 2010. During this period, between 45 and 75% of samples submitted from suspect animals were subsequently confirmed (fluorescent antibody test, histopathology and reverse transcription PCR) as rabies cases. Overall, 63% of submitted samples were confirmed as rabies cases. The spatial distribution of species-specific cases were similar (centred in north-central Oman with a northeast-southwest distribution), although fox cases had a wider distribution and an east-west orientation. Clustering of cases was detected using interpolation, local spatial autocorrelation and scan statistical analysis. Several local government areas (wilayats) in north-central Oman were identified where higher than expected numbers of laboratory-confirmed rabies cases were reported. For fox rabies, more clusters (local spatial autocorrelation analysis) and a larger clustered area (scan statistical analysis) were detected. In Oman, monthly reports of fox rabies cases were highly correlated (rSP>0.5) with reports of camel, cattle, sheep and goat rabies. The best-fitting ARIMA model included a seasonality component. Fox rabies cases reported 6 months previously best explained rabies reported cases in other animal species. Despite likely reporting bias, results suggest that rabies exists as a sylvatic cycle of transmission in Oman and an opportunity still exists to prevent establishment of dog-mediated rabies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Computer routines for probability distributions, random numbers, and related functions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirby, W.

1983-01-01

Use of previously coded and tested subroutines simplifies and speeds up program development and testing. This report presents routines that can be used to calculate various probability distributions and other functions of importance in statistical hydrology. The routines are designed as general-purpose Fortran subroutines and functions to be called from user-written main progress. The probability distributions provided include the beta, chi-square, gamma, Gaussian (normal), Pearson Type III (tables and approximation), and Weibull. Also provided are the distributions of the Grubbs-Beck outlier test, Kolmogorov 's and Smirnov 's D, Student 's t, noncentral t (approximate), and Snedecor F. Other mathematical functions include the Bessel function, I sub o, gamma and log-gamma functions, error functions, and exponential integral. Auxiliary services include sorting and printer-plotting. Random number generators for uniform and normal numbers are provided and may be used with some of the above routines to generate numbers from other distributions. (USGS)

Computer routines for probability distributions, random numbers, and related functions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirby, W.H.

1980-01-01

Use of previously codes and tested subroutines simplifies and speeds up program development and testing. This report presents routines that can be used to calculate various probability distributions and other functions of importance in statistical hydrology. The routines are designed as general-purpose Fortran subroutines and functions to be called from user-written main programs. The probability distributions provided include the beta, chisquare, gamma, Gaussian (normal), Pearson Type III (tables and approximation), and Weibull. Also provided are the distributions of the Grubbs-Beck outlier test, Kolmogorov 's and Smirnov 's D, Student 's t, noncentral t (approximate), and Snedecor F tests. Other mathematical functions include the Bessel function I (subzero), gamma and log-gamma functions, error functions and exponential integral. Auxiliary services include sorting and printer plotting. Random number generators for uniform and normal numbers are provided and may be used with some of the above routines to generate numbers from other distributions. (USGS)

Remote detection of geobotanical anomalies associated with hydrocarbon microseepage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rock, B. N.

1985-01-01

As part of the continuing study of the Lost River, West Virginia NASA/Geosat Test Case Site, an extensive soil gas survey of the site was conducted during the summer of 1983. This soil gas survey has identified an order of magnitude methane, ethane, propane, and butane anomaly that is precisely coincident with the linear maple anomaly reported previously. This and other maple anomalies were previously suggested to be indicative of anaerobic soil conditions associated with hydrocarbon microseepage. In vitro studies support the view that anomalous distributions of native tree species tolerant of anaerobic soil conditions may be useful indicators of methane microseepage in heavily vegetated areas of the United States characterized by deciduous forest cover. Remote sensing systems which allow discrimination and mapping of native tree species and/or species associations will provide the exploration community with a means of identifying vegetation distributional anomalies indicative of microseepage.

Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil, sediment and dust samples collected from various electronic waste recycling sites within Guiyu town, southern China.

PubMed

Labunska, Iryna; Harrad, Stuart; Santillo, David; Johnston, Paul; Brigden, Kevin

2013-02-01

Electronic waste recycling operations in some parts of Asia are conducted using rudimentary techniques which result in workplace and environmental contamination with toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants. This study reports concentrations of 14 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), from tri- to deca-brominated, in 31 samples of soil, sediment, dust or ash collected in the vicinity of e-waste recycling sites in Guiyu (southeast China) which were engaged in common activities such as dismantling, shredding, solder recovery, acid processing and open burning. The concentrations detected in this study far exceed those reported previously in urban soil and sediment and are consistent with or exceed those reported in previous studies around e-waste processing facilities. Some of the highest PBDE concentrations reported to date (e.g. 390 000 ng g (-1) dw (∑ 14 PBDEs)) were found in a sample collected from a site used for open-burning of e-waste, while an average concentration of 220 000 ng g (-1) dw (∑ 14 PBDEs) occurred in sediments impacted by circuit board shredding. A decrease in PBDE concentrations observed with increasing distance from workshops in samples associated with acid processing of wastes provides evidence that such operations are a significant source of PBDEs to the environment. Principal components analysis reveals a complex PBDE congener distribution, suggesting contamination by two or even three commercial formulations consistent with the diverse range of wastes processed.

Korean species of the genus Perlomyia Banks, 1906 (Plecoptera: Leuctridae).

PubMed

Murányi, Dávid; Jeon, Mi Jeong; Hwang, Jeong Mi; Seo, Hong Yul

2014-11-04

Eight species of the genus Perlomyia (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) are reported from Korea, six are new records for the Korean Peninsula. Two species, known only as unassociated females are described under informal unnamed designations. Previous Korean records are discussed, taxonomic characters of the Korean specimens and Korean distribution are presented for these species. Zoogeographic notes on the Asian Perlomyia are also given.

Dual effectiveness of ascorbic acid and ethanol combined treatment to inhibit browning and inactivate pathogens on fresh-cut apples

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lettuce is easily subjected to browning upon wound or cutting, which results in the limit of shelf life of fresh-cut lettuce and negative effect on the distribution of lettuce. The aim of this work is to screen an alternative natural inhibitor of browning for lettuce leaves. Previously it was report...

Status Report on Speech Research 1 July - 31 December 1982.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

retina. * Theoretical explorations of the lateral-inhibition and disinhibition ideas have included abstract investigations of the mathematical properties...such language communities do indeed see reading disability among their children (Stevenson, Stigler, Lucker, Lee, Hsu, & Kitamura, in press) previous...for its Investigation , and Practical Applications 1 July - 31 December 1982 Haskins laboratories 270 Crown Street New Haven, Conn. 06510 .9 Distribution

Database interfaces on NASA's heterogeneous distributed database system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Shou-Hsuan Stephen

1989-01-01

The syntax and semantics of all commands used in the template are described. Template builders should consult this document for proper commands in the template. Previous documents (Semiannual reports) described other aspects of this project. Appendix 1 contains all substituting commands used in the system. Appendix 2 includes all repeating commands. Appendix 3 is a collection of DEFINE templates from eight different DBMS's.

High-speed continuous-variable quantum key distribution without sending a local oscillator.

PubMed

Huang, Duan; Huang, Peng; Lin, Dakai; Wang, Chao; Zeng, Guihua

2015-08-15

We report a 100-MHz continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) experiment over a 25-km fiber channel without sending a local oscillator (LO). We use a "locally" generated LO and implement with a 1-GHz shot-noise-limited homodyne detector to achieve high-speed quantum measurement, and we propose a secure phase compensation scheme to maintain a low level of excess noise. These make high-bit-rate CV-QKD significantly simpler for larger transmission distances compared with previous schemes in which both LO and quantum signals are transmitted through the insecure quantum channel.

Effects of surgical lesions on choline acetyltransferase activity in the cat cochlea.

PubMed

Frilling, Mark J; Wiet, Gregory J; Godfrey, Donald A; Parli, Judy A; Dunn, Jon D; Ross, C David

2017-12-01

Although it is well established that the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT, the enzyme for acetylcholine synthesis) in the mammalian cochlea is associated with its olivocochlear innervation, the distribution of this innervation in the cochlea varies somewhat among mammalian species. The quantitative distribution of ChAT activity in the cochlea has been reported for guinea pigs and rats. The present study reports the distribution of ChAT activity within the organ of Corti among the three turns of the cat cochlea and the effects of removing olivocochlear innervation either by a lateral cut aimed to totally transect the left olivocochlear bundle or a more medial cut additionally damaging the superior olivary complex on the same side. Similarly to results for guinea pig and rat, the distribution of ChAT activity in the cat outer hair cell region showed a decrease from base to apex, but, unlike in the guinea pig and rat, the cat inner hair cell region did not. As in the rat, little ChAT activity was measured in the outer supporting cell region. As previously reported for whole cat cochlea and for rat cochlear regions, transection of the olivocochlear bundle resulted in almost total loss of ChAT activity in the hair cell regions of the cat cochlea. Lesions of the superior olivary complex resulted in loss of ChAT activity in the inner hair cell region of all cochlear turns only on the lesion side but bilateral losses in the outer hair cell region of all turns. The results are consistent with previous evidence that virtually all cholinergic synapses in the mammalian cochlea are associated with its olivocochlear innervation, that the olivocochlear innervation to the inner hair cell region is predominantly ipsilateral, and that the olivocochlear innervation to the outer hair cells is bilateral. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A Virus, Hepatitis E Virus, and Helicobacter pylori in Rural Communities of the Bolivian Chaco, 2013.

PubMed

Campolmi, Irene; Spinicci, Michele; Mayaregua, David Rojo; Barahona, Herlan Gamboa; Mantella, Antonia; Lara, Yunni; Roselli, Mimmo; Strohmeyer, Marianne; Corti, Giampaolo; Tolari, Francesco; Pinckert, Joaquín Monasterio; Dalton, Harry R; Bartoloni, Alessandro

2018-05-01

In the Bolivian Chaco, south-east of Bolivia, studies conducted over the past three decades reported hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Helicobacter pylori seroprevalences above 90% and 60%, respectively. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) prevalence was previously found to be 6-7% but is probably an underestimate because of the poor sensitivity of the assays used. In November 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 263 healthy volunteers from two rural communities of the Bolivian Chaco, aiming to reassess HAV, HEV, and H. pylori seroprevalence 10-20 years following the previous surveys. Hepatitis A virus seroprevalence was 95%, with universal exposure after the first decade of life; HEV seroprevalence was considerably higher (31-35%) than that previously reported; H. pylori seroprevalence was 59%, with an age-dependent distribution. The high prevalence of these infections suggests that major efforts are still needed to reduce fecal-oral transmission and to improve human health in the Bolivian Chaco.

Spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow in dogs in increased force environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenleaf, J. F.; Ritman, E. L.; Chevalier, P. A.; Sass, D. J.; Wood, E. H.

1978-01-01

Spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow during 2- to 3-min exposures to 6-8 Gy acceleration was studied, using radioactive microspheres in dogs, and compared to previously reported 1 Gy control distributions. Isotope distributions were measured by scintiscanning individual 1-cm-thick cross sections of excised, fixed lungs. Results indicate: (1) the fraction of cardiac output traversing left and right lungs did not change systematically with the duration and magnitude of acceleration; but (2) the fraction is strongly affected by the occurrence or absence of fast deep breaths, which cause an increase or decrease, respectively, in blood flow through the dependent lung; and (3) Gy acceleration caused a significant increase in relative pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in nondependent and dependent regions of the lung concurrent with a decrease in PVR in the midsagittal region of the thorax.

Acute Biological Effects of Simulating the Whole-Body Radiation Dose Distribution from a Solar Particle Event Using a Porcine Model

PubMed Central

Wilson, Jolaine M.; Sanzari, Jenine K.; Diffenderfer, Eric S.; Yee, Stephanie S.; Seykora, John T.; Maks, Casey; Ware, Jeffrey H.; Litt, Harold I.; Reetz, Jennifer A.; McDonough, James; Weissman, Drew; Kennedy, Ann R.; Cengel, Keith A.

2011-01-01

In a solar particle event (SPE), an unshielded astronaut would receive proton radiation with an energy profile that produces a highly inhomogeneous dose distribution (skin receiving a greater dose than internal organs). The novel concept of using megavoltage electron-beam radiation to more accurately reproduce both the total dose and the dose distribution of SPE protons and make meaningful RBE comparisons between protons and conventional radiation has been described previously. Here, Yucatan minipigs were used to determine the effects of a superficial, SPE-like proton dose distribution using megavoltage electrons. In these experiments, dose-dependent increases in skin pigmentation, ulceration, keratinocyte necrosis and pigment incontinence were observed. Five of 18 animals (one each exposed to 7.5 Gy and 12.5 Gy radiation and three exposed to 25 Gy radiation) developed symptomatic, radiation-associated pneumonopathy approximately 90 days postirradiation. The three animals from the highest dose group showed evidence of mycoplasmal pneumonia along with radiation pneumonitis. Moreover, delayed-type hypersensitivity was found to be altered, suggesting that superficial irradiation of the skin with ionizing radiation might cause immune dysfunction or dysregulation. In conclusion, using total doses, patterns of dose distribution, and dose rates that are compatible with potential astronaut exposure to SPE radiation, animals experienced significant toxicities that were qualitatively different from toxicities previously reported in pigs for homogeneously delivered radiation at similar doses. PMID:21859326

Distribution and movement of Caenorhabditis elegans on a thermal gradient.

PubMed

Yamada, Yohko; Ohshima, Yasumi

2003-08-01

To analyze thermal responses of Caenorhabditis elegans in detail, distribution of a worm population and movement of individual worms were examined on a linear, reproducible and broad temperature gradient. Assay methods were improved compared with those reported previously to ensure good motility and dispersion of worms. Well-fed, wild-type worms distributed over a wide temperature range of up to 10 degrees C, and, within this range, worms migrated in both directions of the gradient at similar frequencies without any specific response to the growth temperature in most cases. By contrast, worms migrated down the gradient if put in a region warmer than the warm boundary of distribution. The distribution range changed depending on the growth temperature and starvation, but active avoidance of a starvation temperature was not detected. These findings contradict previous hypotheses of taxis or migration to the growth temperature in association with food and instead indicate avoidance of a warm temperature. Our results favor a model for thermal response of C. elegans that postulates a single drive based on warm sensation rather than downward and upward drives in the physiological temperature range. Mutants in ttx-3, tax-2, tax-4 or egl-4 genes showed abnormal thermal responses, suggesting that these genes are involved in warm avoidance. Laser ablation and gene expression studies suggest that AFD neurons are not important, and tax-4 expression in neurons other than AFD is required, for warm avoidance.

Update on imbalanced distribution of endodontists: 1995-2006.

PubMed

Waldman, H Barry; Bruder, George A

2009-05-01

Past studies on the number of endodontists in the United States indicated an imbalanced distribution of private practice endodontic practitioners in most regions, states, counties, and zip code areas of the country. The availability of more recent studies by the American Dental Association (ADA) provides an opportunity to follow up on these previous studies. The 2006 and past ADA surveys on the Distribution of Dentists in the United States, Advanced Dental Education, and Dental Practice were used to evaluate the number of graduates from advanced education programs in endodontics, the changing number and distribution of endodontists, full-time and part-time work patterns, and the income of private practicing endodontists. A gradual increase in the number of graduates from advanced education programs in endodontics is reflected in a continuing increase in the overall number of private practicing endodontists, but with ongoing differences in endodontists-to-population ratios at the regional and state levels. The findings follow previous study results confirming the increasing numbers of endodontists and continuing differences in the endodontists-to-population ratios at both the regional and state levels. Concerns about the distribution of endodontists in the future need to be considered in terms of evolving dental disease patterns, changing demands for services, evolving third-party mechanisms, and the increased number of female practitioners (with fewer reported working hours than their male counterparts).

Burkholderia pseudomallei Genotype Distribution in the Northern Territory, Australia

PubMed Central

Chapple, Stephanie N. J.; Price, Erin P.; Sarovich, Derek S.; McRobb, Evan; Mayo, Mark; Kaestli, Mirjam; Spratt, Brian G.; Currie, Bart J.

2016-01-01

Melioidosis is a tropical disease of high mortality caused by the environmental bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei. We have collected clinical isolates from the highly endemic Northern Territory of Australia routinely since 1989, and animal and environmental B. pseudomallei isolates since 1991. Here we provide a complete record of all B. pseudomallei multilocus sequence types (STs) found in the Northern Territory to date, and distribution maps of the eight most common environmental STs. We observed surprisingly restricted geographic distributions of STs, which is contrary to previous reports suggesting widespread environmental dissemination of this bacterium. Our data suggest that B. pseudomallei from soil and water does not frequently disperse long distances following severe weather events or by migration of infected animals. PMID:26526925

Live-cell and super-resolution imaging reveal that the distribution of wall-associated protein A is correlated with the cell chain integrity of Streptococcus mutans.

PubMed

Li, Y; Liu, Z; Zhang, Y; Su, Q P; Xue, B; Shao, S; Zhu, Y; Xu, X; Wei, S; Sun, Y

2015-10-01

Streptococcus mutans is a primary pathogen responsible for dental caries. It has an outstanding ability to form biofilm, which is vital for virulence. Previous studies have shown that knockout of Wall-associated protein A (WapA) affects cell chain and biofilm formation of S. mutans. As a surface protein, the distribution of WapA remains unknown, but it is important to understand the mechanism underlying the function of WapA. This study applied the fluorescence protein mCherry as a reporter gene to characterize the dynamic distribution of WapA in S. mutans via time-lapse and super-resolution fluorescence imaging. The results revealed interesting subcellular distribution patterns of WapA in single, dividing and long chains of S. mutans cells. It appears at the middle of the cell and moves to the poles as the cell grows and divides. In a cell chain, after each round of cell division, such dynamic relocation results in WapA distribution at the previous cell division sites, resulting in a pattern where WapA is located at the boundary of two adjacent cell pairs. This WapA distribution pattern corresponds to the breaking segmentation of wapA deletion cell chains. The dynamic relocation of WapA through the cell cycle increases our understanding of the mechanism of WapA in maintaining cell chain integrity and biofilm formation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Recent corrections to meteoroid environment models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moorhead, A.; Brown, P.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Moser, D. E.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W.

2017-12-01

The dynamical and physical characteristics of a meteoroid affects its behavior in the atmosphere and the damage it does to spacecraft surfaces. Accurate environment models must therefore correctly describe the speed, size, density, and direction of meteoroids. However, the measurement of dynamical characteristics such as speed is subject to observational biases, and physical properties such as size and density cannot be directly measured. De-biasing techniques and proxies are needed to overcome these challenges. In this presentation, we discuss several recent improvements to the derivation of the meteoroid velocity, directionality, and bulk density distributions. We derive our speed distribution from observations made by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar. These observations are de-biased using modern descriptions of the ionization efficiency and sharpened to remove the effects of measurement uncertainty, and the result is a meteoroid speed distribution that is skewed slower than in previous analyses. We also adopt a higher fidelity density distribution than that used by many older models. In our distribution, meteoroids with TJ < 2 are assigned to a low-density population, while those with TJ > 2 have higher densities. This division and the distributions themselves are derived from the densities reported by Kikwaya et al. (2009, 2011). These changes have implications for the environment. For instance, helion and antihelion meteors have lower speeds and higher densities than apex and toroidal meteors. A slower speed distribution therefore corresponds to a sporadic environment that is more completely dominated by the helion and antihelion sources than in previous models. Finally, assigning these meteors high densities further increases their significance from a spacecraft damage perspective.

Recent Corrections to Meteoroid Environment Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, A. V.; Brown, P. G.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Moser, D. E.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W. J.

2017-01-01

The dynamical and physical characteristics of a meteoroid affects its behavior in the atmosphere and the damage it does to spacecraft surfaces. Accurate environment models must therefore correctly describe the speed, size, density, and direction of meteoroids. However, the measurement of dynamical characteristics such as speed is subject to observational biases, and physical properties such as size and density cannot be directly measured. De-biasing techniques and proxies are needed to overcome these challenges. In this presentation, we discuss several recent improvements to the derivation of the meteoroid velocity, directionality, and bulk density distributions. We derive our speed distribution from observations made by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar. These observations are de-biased using modern descriptions of the ionization efficiency and sharpened to remove the effects of measurement uncertainty, and the result is a meteoroid speed distribution that is skewed slower than in previous analyses. We also adopt a higher fidelity density distribution than that used by many older models. In our distribution, meteoroids with T(sub J) less than 2 are assigned to a low-density population, while those with T(sub J) greater than 2 have higher densities. This division and the distributions themselves are derived from the densities reported by Kikwaya et al. (2009, 2011). These changes have implications for the environment. For instance, helion and antihelion meteors have lower speeds and higher densities than apex and toroidal meteors. A slower speed distribution therefore corresponds to a sporadic environment that is more completely dominated by the helion and antihelion sources than in previous models. Finally, assigning these meteors high densities further increases their significance from a spacecraft damage perspective.

Amino acid distribution in meteorites: diagenesis, extraction methods, and standard metrics in the search for extraterrestrial biosignatures.

PubMed

McDonald, Gene D; Storrie-Lombardi, Michael C

2006-02-01

The relative abundance of the protein amino acids has been previously investigated as a potential marker for biogenicity in meteoritic samples. However, these investigations were executed without a quantitative metric to evaluate distribution variations, and they did not account for the possibility of interdisciplinary systematic error arising from inter-laboratory differences in extraction and detection techniques. Principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and stochastic probabilistic artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to compare the distributions for nine protein amino acids previously reported for the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite, Mars meteorites (ALH84001, Nakhla, and EETA79001), prebiotic synthesis experiments, and terrestrial biota and sediments. These techniques allowed us (1) to identify a shift in terrestrial amino acid distributions secondary to diagenesis; (2) to detect differences in terrestrial distributions that may be systematic differences between extraction and analysis techniques in biological and geological laboratories; and (3) to determine that distributions in meteoritic samples appear more similar to prebiotic chemistry samples than they do to the terrestrial unaltered or diagenetic samples. Both diagenesis and putative interdisciplinary differences in analysis complicate interpretation of meteoritic amino acid distributions. We propose that the analysis of future samples from such diverse sources as meteoritic influx, sample return missions, and in situ exploration of Mars would be less ambiguous with adoption of standardized assay techniques, systematic inclusion of assay standards, and the use of a quantitative, probabilistic metric. We present here one such metric determined by sequential feature extraction and normalization (PCA), information-driven automated exploration of classification possibilities (HCA), and prediction of classification accuracy (ANNs).

Jet Mixing in Direct-Chill Casting of Aluminum: Crater Effects and its Consequence on Centerline Segregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagstaff, Samuel R.; Allanore, Antoine

2017-08-01

Recent reports have demonstrated the possibility of mitigating macrosegregation during the Direct-Chill casting of rolling slab ingots using an impinging jet. Herein, an analytical model is presented to predict the shape of the crater formed due to the impact of the jet on the slurry region. The model takes into account alloy composition, physical dimension, and casting speed on the distribution of forces and crater shape. The calculated shape of the crater profile is used to explain the centerline depletion in the impingement region previously reported.

Sibling recurrence and the genetic epidemiology of autism

PubMed Central

Constantino, John N.; Zhang, Yi; Frazier, Thomas; Abbacchi, Anna M.; Law, Paul

2010-01-01

Objective Although the symptoms of autism exhibit quantitative distributions in nature, estimates of recurrence risk in families have never previously considered or incorporated quantitative characterization of the autistic phenotype among siblings. Method We report the results of quantitative characterization of 2,920 children from 1,235 families participating in a national volunteer register who met the criteria of having at least one child clinically-affected by an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and at least one full biological sibling. Results The occurrence of a traditionally-defined ASD in an additional child occurred in 10.9% of the families. An additional 20% of non-ASD-affected siblings had a history of language delay, half of whom had exhibited autistic qualities of speech. Quantitative characterization using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) supported previously-reported aggregation of a wide range of subclinical (quantitative) autistic traits among otherwise unaffected children in multiple-incidence families, and a relative absence of quantitative autistic traits among siblings in single-incidence autism families. Girls whose standardized severity ratings fell above a first percentile severity threshold (relative to the general population distribution) were significantly less likely to have elicited community diagnoses than their male counterparts. Conclusions These data suggest that, depending on how it is defined, sibling recurrence in ASD may exceed previously-published estimates, and varies as a function of family type. The results support differences in mechanisms of genetic transmission between simplex and multiplex autism, and advance current understanding of the genetic epidemiology of autism. PMID:20889652

Latitude, Energy, and Time Variations of Energetic Neutral Atom Spectral indices Measured by IBEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, M. I.; McComas, D. J.; Dayeh, M. A.; Funsten, H. O.; Schwadron, N.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Fuselier, S. A.; Allegrini, F.; Pogorelov, N.; Zank, G. P.

2015-12-01

We investigate the latitude, energy, and time variations of the globally distributed ~0.5-6 keV energetic neutral atom (ENA) spectra measured by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) during the first 5 years of the mission. Our previous results based on the first 3 years of IBEX observations showed that the ENA spectral indices at the two lowest energies (~0.89 and 1.47 keV) exhibit no clear trend with ecliptic latitude θ, while those at ~2.29 and ~3.41 keV exhibit a clear latitudinal pattern; flatter spectra occur above 60° latitude and steeper spectra occur ±30° of the equator. While these results confirmed the previously reported latitudinal organization of the ENA spectra and their remarkable similarity to that of the solar wind (SW) speed observed by Ulysses in the inner heliosphere, we also showed that, unlike previous reports, the ~0.5-6 keV globally distributed ENA spectral indices could not be represented as single power laws over much of the sky, and that they depend on energy and latitude. In this work we extend the above results to include years 4 and 5 of IBEX observations and investigate if the spectral indices vary as a function of time. Finally, we discuss implications of our results on models and simulations that seek to map the IBEX ENA observations back to the latitudinal profile of the SW speed structure observed in the inner heliosphere.

Latitude, Energy, and Time Variations of Energetic Neutral Atom Spectral indices Measured by IBEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Mihir; Heerikhuisen, Jacob; McComas, David; Funsten, Herbert; Pogorelov, Nikolai; Zank, Gary; Schwadron, Nathan; Fuselier, Stephen; Allegrini, Frederic; Dayeh, Maher A.

2016-07-01

We investigate the latitude, energy, and time variations of the globally distributed 0.5-6 keV energetic neutral atom (ENA) spectra measured by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) during the first 5 years of the mission. Our previous results based on the first 3 years of IBEX observations showed that the ENA spectral indices at the two lowest energies (0.89 and 1.47 keV) exhibit no clear trend with ecliptic latitude θ, while those at ˜2.29 and ˜3.41 keV exhibit a clear latitudinal pattern; flatter spectra occur above 60° latitude and steeper spectra occur within ±30° of the equator. While these results confirmed the previously reported latitudinal organization of the ENA spectra and their remarkable similarity to that of the solar wind (SW) speed observed by Ulysses in the inner heliosphere, we also showed that, unlike previous reports, the ˜0.5-6 keV globally distributed ENA spectral indices could not be represented as single power laws over much of the sky, and that they depend on energy and latitude. In this paper we extend the above results to include years 4 and 5 of IBEX observations and investigate if the spectral indices vary as a function of time. Finally, we discuss implications of our results on models and simulations that seek to map the IBEX ENA observations back to the latitudinal profile of the SW speed structure observed in the inner heliosphere.

Efficient production of ultrapure manganese oxides via electrodeposition.

PubMed

Cheney, Marcos A; Joo, Sang Woo; Banerjee, Arghya; Min, Bong-Ki

2012-08-01

A new process for the production of electrolytic amorphous nanomanganese oxides (EAMD) with uniform size and morphology is described. EAMD are produced for the first time by cathodic deposition from a basic aqueous solution of potassium permanganate at a constant temperature of 16°C. The synthesized materials are characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and HRTEM. The materials produced at 5.0 V at constant temperature are amorphous with homogeneous size and morphology with an average particle size around 20 nm, which appears to be much lesser than the previously reported anodic EAMD. A potentiostatic electrodeposition with much lesser deposition rate (with respect to previously reported anodic depositions) is considered to be the reason behind the very low and homogenous particle size distribution due to the lesser agglomeration of our as-synthesized nanoparticles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Velocity and Density Distribution of Earth-Intersecting Meteoroids: Implications for Environment Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, A. V.; Brown, P. G.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Moser, D. E.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W. J.

2017-01-01

Meteoroids are known to damage spacecraft: they can crater or puncture components, disturb a spacecraft's attitude, and potentially create secondary electrical effects. Because the damage done depends on the speed, size, density, and direction of the impactor, accurate environment models are critical for mitigating meteoroid-related risks. Yet because meteoroid properties are derived from indirect observations such as meteors and impact craters, many characteristics of the meteoroid environment are uncertain. In this work, we present recent improvements to the meteoroid speed and density distributions. Our speed distribution is derived from observations made by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar. These observations are de-biased using modern descriptions of the ionization efficiency. Our approach yields a slower meteoroid population than previous analyses (see Fig. 1 for an example) and we compute the uncertainties associated with our derived distribution. We adopt a higher fidelity density distribution than that used by many older models. In our distribution, meteoroids with TJ less than 2 are assigned to a low-density population, while those with TJ greater than 2 have higher densities (see Fig. 2). This division and the distributions themselves are derived from the densities reported by Kikwaya et al. These changes have implications for the environment: for instance, the helion/antihelion sporadic sources have lower speeds than the apex and toroidal sources and originate from high-T(sub J) parent bodies. Our on-average slower and denser distributions thus imply that the helion and antihelion sources dominate the meteoroid environment even more completely than previously thought. Finally, for a given near-Earth meteoroid cratering rate, a slower meteoroid population produces a comparatively higher rate of satellite attitude disturbances.

Payload and Survivability Tradeoffs in the Presence of Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) N/ A 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The...DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The objective of this thesis research is to find an optimized throughput plan for ship...considering cargo ship size, quantity, speed, range, and risk when traversing through a designated travel area. Data collected from previous theses

Ecologic and geographic distributions of the vascular plants of southern Nye County, and adjacent parts of Clark, Lincoln, and Esmeralda Counties, Nevada. [Based on collections made in 1970

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beatley, J. C.

1971-01-01

A catalog is compiled of the vascular plants indiginous to Nye, Clark, Lincoln, and Esmeralda Counties of Nevada based on collections made in 1970. This compilation is an update of previous collections in these areas and is a supplement to report, UCLA--12-705. (ERB)

Flare Frequency Distribution at Low Energies in GALEX UV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Million, Chase; Fleming, Scott W.; Osten, Rachel A.; Brasseur, Clara; Bianchi, Luciana; Shiao, Bernie; Loyd, R. O. Parke; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.

2018-06-01

The gPhoton toolkit and database of GALEX photon events permits measurement of flares with energies as small as ~10^27 ergs in the two GALEX UV bandpasses. Following a previously reported search for flaring on several thousand M dwarfs observed by GALEX, we present initial results on the flare frequency as a function of energy and stellar type at energies < 10^32 ergs.

Maximizing the Predictive Value of Production Rules

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-31

Clancev, 1985] Clancey, W. "Heuristic Classification." Artifcial Intelligence . 27 (1985) 289-350. [Crawford, 19881 Crawford, S. "Extensions to the CART...Optimality 16 6.1.2. Comparative Analysis for Normally Distributed Data 17 6.2. Comparison with Alternative Machine Learning Methods 18 6.2.1. Alternative...are reported on data sets previously analyzed in the Al literature using alternative classification techniques. 1. Introduction MIanv decision-making

Continued Development of Expert System Tools for NPSS Engine Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewandowski, Henry

1996-01-01

The objectives of this grant were to work with previously developed NPSS (Numerical Propulsion System Simulation) tools and enhance their functionality; explore similar AI systems; and work with the High Performance Computing Communication (HPCC) K-12 program. Activities for this reporting period are briefly summarized and a paper addressing the implementation, monitoring and zooming in a distributed jet engine simulation is included as an attachment.

Application of a receptor-binding-capture qRTPCR assay to concentrate human norovirus from sewage and to study the distribution and stability of the virus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are major agents of gastroenteritis and water is an important route of transmission. Using magnetic beads conjugated with blood group-like antigens previously reported as receptors for HuNoV, we developed a simple and rapid receptor-binding capture and magnetic sequestra...

Ventilation-perfusion distribution in normal subjects.

PubMed

Beck, Kenneth C; Johnson, Bruce D; Olson, Thomas P; Wilson, Theodore A

2012-09-01

Functional values of LogSD of the ventilation distribution (σ(V)) have been reported previously, but functional values of LogSD of the perfusion distribution (σ(q)) and the coefficient of correlation between ventilation and perfusion (ρ) have not been measured in humans. Here, we report values for σ(V), σ(q), and ρ obtained from wash-in data for three gases, helium and two soluble gases, acetylene and dimethyl ether. Normal subjects inspired gas containing the test gases, and the concentrations of the gases at end-expiration during the first 10 breaths were measured with the subjects at rest and at increasing levels of exercise. The regional distribution of ventilation and perfusion was described by a bivariate log-normal distribution with parameters σ(V), σ(q), and ρ, and these parameters were evaluated by matching the values of expired gas concentrations calculated for this distribution to the measured values. Values of cardiac output and LogSD ventilation/perfusion (Va/Q) were obtained. At rest, σ(q) is high (1.08 ± 0.12). With the onset of ventilation, σ(q) decreases to 0.85 ± 0.09 but remains higher than σ(V) (0.43 ± 0.09) at all exercise levels. Rho increases to 0.87 ± 0.07, and the value of LogSD Va/Q for light and moderate exercise is primarily the result of the difference between the magnitudes of σ(q) and σ(V). With known values for the parameters, the bivariate distribution describes the comprehensive distribution of ventilation and perfusion that underlies the distribution of the Va/Q ratio.

Bryophytes from Tuxedni Wilderness area, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schofield, W.B.; Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S.L.

2002-01-01

The bryoflora of two small maritime islands, Chisik and Duck Island (2,302 ha), comprising Tuxedni Wilderness in western lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, was examined to determine species composition in an area where no previous collections had been reported. The field study was conducted from sites selected to represent the totality of environmental variation within Tuxedni Wilderness. Data were analyzed using published reports to compare the bryophyte distribution patterns at three levels, the Northern Hemisphere, North America, and Alaska. A total of 286 bryophytes were identified: 230 mosses and 56 liverworts. Bryum miniatum, Dichodontium olympicum, and Orthotrichum pollens are new to Alaska. The annotated list of species for Tuxedni Wilderness expands the known range for many species and fills distribution gaps within Hulte??n's Central Pacific Coast district. Compared with bryophyte distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the bryoflora of Tuxedni Wilderness primarily includes taxa of boreal (61%), montane (13%), temperate (11%), arctic-alpine (7%), cosmopolitan (7%), distribution; 4% of the total moss flora are North America endemics. A brief summary of the botanical exploration of the general area is provided, as is a description of the bryophytes present in the vegetation and habitat types of Chisik and Duck Islands.

Quantum key distribution over 120 km using ultrahigh purity single-photon source and superconducting single-photon detectors.

PubMed

Takemoto, Kazuya; Nambu, Yoshihiro; Miyazawa, Toshiyuki; Sakuma, Yoshiki; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Yorozu, Shinichi; Arakawa, Yasuhiko

2015-09-25

Advances in single-photon sources (SPSs) and single-photon detectors (SPDs) promise unique applications in the field of quantum information technology. In this paper, we report long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD) by using state-of-the-art devices: a quantum-dot SPS (QD SPS) emitting a photon in the telecom band of 1.5 μm and a superconducting nanowire SPD (SNSPD). At the distance of 100 km, we obtained the maximal secure key rate of 27.6 bps without using decoy states, which is at least threefold larger than the rate obtained in the previously reported 50-km-long QKD experiment. We also succeeded in transmitting secure keys at the rate of 0.307 bps over 120 km. This is the longest QKD distance yet reported by using known true SPSs. The ultralow multiphoton emissions of our SPS and ultralow dark count of the SNSPD contributed to this result. The experimental results demonstrate the potential applicability of QD SPSs to practical telecom QKD networks.

Barriers to Rural Induced Abortion Services in Canada: Findings of the British Columbia Abortion Providers Survey (BCAPS)

PubMed Central

Norman, Wendy V.; Soon, Judith A.; Maughn, Nanamma; Dressler, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Background Rural induced abortion service has declined in Canada. Factors influencing abortion provision by rural physicians are unknown. This study assessed distribution, practice, and experiences among rural compared to urban abortion providers in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). Methods We used mixed methods to assess physicians on the BC registry of abortion providers. In 2011 we distributed a previously-published questionnaire and conducted semi-structured interviews. Results Surveys were returned by 39/46 (85%) of BC abortion providers. Half were family physicians, within both rural and urban cohorts. One-quarter (17/67) of rural hospitals offer abortion service. Medical abortions comprised 14.7% of total reported abortions. The three largest urban areas reported 90% of all abortions, although only 57% of reproductive age women reside in the associated health authority regions. Each rural physician provided on average 76 (SD 52) abortions annually, including 35 (SD 30) medical abortions. Rural physicians provided surgical abortions in operating rooms, often using general anaesthesia, while urban physicians provided the same services primarily in ambulatory settings using local anaesthesia. Rural providers reported health system barriers, particularly relating to operating room logistics. Urban providers reported occasional anonymous harassment and violence. Conclusions Medical abortions represented 15% of all BC abortions, a larger proportion than previously reported (under 4%) for Canada. Rural physicians describe addressable barriers to service provision that may explain the declining accessibility of rural abortion services. Moving rural surgical abortions out of operating rooms and into local ambulatory care settings has the potential to improve care and costs, while reducing logistical challenges facing rural physicians. PMID:23840578

Search for first harmonic modulation in the right ascension distribution of cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierre Auger Collaboration; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.; Ahn, E. J.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Allard, D.; Allekotte, I.; Allen, J.; Allison, P.; Alvarez Castillo, J.; Alvarez-Muñiz, J.; Ambrosio, M.; Aminaei, A.; Anchordoqui, L.; Andringa, S.; Antičić, T.; Aramo, C.; Arganda, E.; Arqueros, F.; Asorey, H.; Assis, P.; Aublin, J.; Ave, M.; Avenier, M.; Avila, G.; Bäcker, T.; Balzer, M.; Barber, K. B.; Barbosa, A. F.; Bardenet, R.; Barroso, S. L. C.; Baughman, B.; Beatty, J. J.; Becker, B. R.; Becker, K. H.; Bellido, J. A.; Benzvi, S.; Berat, C.; Bertou, X.; Biermann, P. L.; Billoir, P.; Blanco, F.; Blanco, M.; Bleve, C.; Blümer, H.; Boháčová, M.; Boncioli, D.; Bonifazi, C.; Bonino, R.; Borodai, N.; Brack, J.; Brogueira, P.; Brown, W. C.; Bruijn, R.; Buchholz, P.; Bueno, A.; Burton, R. E.; Caballero-Mora, K. S.; Caramete, L.; Caruso, R.; Castellina, A.; Cataldi, G.; Cazon, L.; Cester, R.; Chauvin, J.; Chiavassa, A.; Chinellato, J. A.; Chou, A.; Chudoba, J.; Clay, R. W.; Coluccia, M. R.; Conceição, R.; Contreras, F.; Cook, H.; Cooper, M. J.; Coppens, J.; Cordier, A.; Cotti, U.; Coutu, S.; Covault, C. E.; Creusot, A.; Criss, A.; Cronin, J.; Curutiu, A.; Dagoret-Campagne, S.; Dallier, R.; Dasso, S.; Daumiller, K.; Dawson, B. R.; de Almeida, R. M.; de Domenico, M.; de Donato, C.; de Jong, S. J.; de La Vega, G.; de Mello, W. J. M.; de Mello Neto, J. R. T.; de Mitri, I.; de Souza, V.; de Vries, K. D.; Decerprit, G.; Del Peral, L.; Deligny, O.; Dembinski, H.; Denkiewicz, A.; di Giulio, C.; Diaz, J. C.; Díaz Castro, M. L.; Diep, P. N.; Dobrigkeit, C.; D'Olivo, J. C.; Dong, P. N.; Dorofeev, A.; Dos Anjos, J. C.; Dova, M. T.; D'Urso, D.; Dutan, I.; Ebr, J.; Engel, R.; Erdmann, M.; Escobar, C. O.; Etchegoyen, A.; Facal San Luis, P.; Falcke, H.; Farrar, G.; Fauth, A. C.; Fazzini, N.; Ferguson, A. P.; Ferrero, A.; Fick, B.; Filevich, A.; Filipčič, A.; Fliescher, S.; Fracchiolla, C. E.; Fraenkel, E. D.; Fröhlich, U.; Fuchs, B.; Gamarra, R. F.; Gambetta, S.; García, B.; García Gámez, D.; Garcia-Pinto, D.; Gascon, A.; Gemmeke, H.; Gesterling, K.; Ghia, P. L.; Giaccari, U.; Giller, M.; Glass, H.; Gold, M. S.; Golup, G.; Gomez Albarracin, F.; Gómez Berisso, M.; Gonçalves, P.; Gonzalez, D.; Gonzalez, J. G.; Gookin, B.; Góra, D.; Gorgi, A.; Gouffon, P.; Gozzini, S. R.; Grashorn, E.; Grebe, S.; Griffith, N.; Grigat, M.; Grillo, A. F.; Guardincerri, Y.; Guarino, F.; Guedes, G. P.; Hague, J. D.; Hansen, P.; Harari, D.; Harmsma, S.; Harton, J. L.; Haungs, A.; Hebbeker, T.; Heck, D.; Herve, A. E.; Hojvat, C.; Holmes, V. C.; Homola, P.; Hörandel, J. R.; Horneffer, A.; Hrabovský, M.; Huege, T.; Insolia, A.; Ionita, F.; Italiano, A.; Jiraskova, S.; Kadija, K.; Kampert, K. H.; Karhan, P.; Karova, T.; Kasper, P.; Kégl, B.; Keilhauer, B.; Keivani, A.; Kelley, J. L.; Kemp, E.; Kieckhafer, R. M.; Klages, H. O.; Kleifges, M.; Kleinfeller, J.; Knapp, J.; Koang, D.-H.; Kotera, K.; Krohm, N.; Krömer, O.; Kruppke-Hansen, D.; Kuehn, F.; Kuempel, D.; Kulbartz, J. K.; Kunka, N.; La Rosa, G.; Lachaud, C.; Lautridou, P.; Leão, M. S. A. B.; Lebrun, D.; Lebrun, P.; Leigui de Oliveira, M. A.; Lemiere, A.; Letessier-Selvon, A.; Lhenry-Yvon, I.; Link, K.; López, R.; Lopez Agüera, A.; Louedec, K.; Lozano Bahilo, J.; Lucero, A.; Ludwig, M.; Lyberis, H.; Macolino, C.; Maldera, S.; Mandat, D.; Mantsch, P.; Mariazzi, A. G.; Marin, V.; Maris, I. C.; Marquez Falcon, H. R.; Marsella, G.; Martello, D.; Martin, L.; Martínez Bravo, O.; Mathes, H. J.; Matthews, J.; Matthews, J. A. J.; Matthiae, G.; Maurizio, D.; Mazur, P. O.; Medina-Tanco, G.; Melissas, M.; Melo, D.; Menichetti, E.; Menshikov, A.; Mertsch, P.; Meurer, C.; Mićanović, S.; Micheletti, M. I.; Miller, W.; Miramonti, L.; Mollerach, S.; Monasor, M.; Monnier Ragaigne, D.; Montanet, F.; Morales, B.; Morello, C.; Moreno, E.; Moreno, J. C.; Morris, C.; Mostafá, M.; Moura, C. A.; Mueller, S.; Muller, M. A.; Müller, G.; Münchmeyer, M.; Mussa, R.; Navarra, G.; Navarro, J. L.; Navas, S.; Necesal, P.; Nellen, L.; Nelles, A.; Nhung, P. T.; Nierstenhoefer, N.; Nitz, D.; Nosek, D.; Nožka, L.; Nyklicek, M.; Oehlschläger, J.; Olinto, A.; Oliva, P.; Olmos-Gilbaja, V. M.; Ortiz, M.; Pacheco, N.; Pakk Selmi-Dei, D.; Palatka, M.; Pallotta, J.; Palmieri, N.; Parente, G.; Parizot, E.; Parra, A.; Parrisius, J.; Parsons, R. D.; Pastor, S.; Paul, T.; Pech, M.; PeĶala, J.; Pelayo, R.; Pepe, I. M.; Perrone, L.; Pesce, R.; Petermann, E.; Petrera, S.; Petrinca, P.; Petrolini, A.; Petrov, Y.; Petrovic, J.; Pfendner, C.; Phan, N.; Piegaia, R.; Pierog, T.; Pieroni, P.; Pimenta, M.; Pirronello, V.; Platino, M.; Ponce, V. H.; Pontz, M.; Privitera, P.; Prouza, M.; Quel, E. J.; Rautenberg, J.; Ravel, O.; Ravignani, D.; Revenu, B.; Ridky, J.; Risse, M.; Ristori, P.; Rivera, H.; Rivière, C.; Rizi, V.; Robledo, C.; Rodrigues de Carvalho, W.; Rodriguez, G.; Rodriguez Martino, J.; Rodriguez Rojo, J.; Rodriguez-Cabo, I.; Rodríguez-Frías, M. D.; Ros, G.; Rosado, J.; Rossler, T.; Roth, M.; Rouillé-D'Orfeuil, B.; Roulet, E.; Rovero, A. C.; Rühle, C.; Salamida, F.; Salazar, H.; Salina, G.; Sánchez, F.; Santander, M.; Santo, C. E.; Santos, E.; Santos, E. M.; Sarazin, F.; Sarkar, S.; Sato, R.; Scharf, N.; Scherini, V.; Schieler, H.; Schiffer, P.; Schmidt, A.; Schmidt, F.; Schmidt, T.; Scholten, O.; Schoorlemmer, H.; Schovancova, J.; Schovánek, P.; Schroeder, F.; Schulte, S.; Schuster, D.; Sciutto, S. J.; Scuderi, M.; Segreto, A.; Semikoz, D.; Settimo, M.; Shadkam, A.; Shellard, R. C.; Sidelnik, I.; Sigl, G.; Śmiałkowski, A.; Šmída, R.; Snow, G. R.; Sommers, P.; Sorokin, J.; Spinka, H.; Squartini, R.; Stapleton, J.; Stasielak, J.; Stephan, M.; Stutz, A.; Suarez, F.; Suomijärvi, T.; Supanitsky, A. D.; Šuša, T.; Sutherland, M. S.; Swain, J.; Szadkowski, Z.; Szuba, M.; Tamashiro, A.; Tapia, A.; Taşcău, O.; Tcaciuc, R.; Tegolo, D.; Thao, N. T.; Thomas, D.; Tiffenberg, J.; Timmermans, C.; Tiwari, D. K.; Tkaczyk, W.; Todero Peixoto, C. J.; Tomé, B.; Tonachini, A.; Travnicek, P.; Tridapalli, D. B.; Tristram, G.; Trovato, E.; Tueros, M.; Ulrich, R.; Unger, M.; Urban, M.; Valdés Galicia, J. F.; Valiño, I.; Valore, L.; van den Berg, A. M.; Vargas Cárdenas, B.; Vázquez, J. R.; Vázquez, R. A.; Veberič, D.; Verzi, V.; Videla, M.; Villaseñor, L.; Wahlberg, H.; Wahrlich, P.; Wainberg, O.; Warner, D.; Watson, A. A.; Weber, M.; Weidenhaupt, K.; Weindl, A.; Westerhoff, S.; Whelan, B. J.; Wieczorek, G.; Wiencke, L.; Wilczyńska, B.; Wilczyński, H.; Will, M.; Williams, C.; Winchen, T.; Winders, L.; Winnick, M. G.; Wommer, M.; Wundheiler, B.; Yamamoto, T.; Younk, P.; Yuan, G.; Zamorano, B.; Zas, E.; Zavrtanik, D.; Zavrtanik, M.; Zaw, I.; Zepeda, A.; Ziolkowski, M.

2011-03-01

We present the results of searches for dipolar-type anisotropies in different energy ranges above 2.5 × 1017 eV with the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, reporting on both the phase and the amplitude measurements of the first harmonic modulation in the right-ascension distribution. Upper limits on the amplitudes are obtained, which provide the most stringent bounds at present, being below 2% at 99% C.L. for EeV energies. We also compare our results to those of previous experiments as well as with some theoretical expectations.

Molpa: A newly recorded genus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from China.

PubMed

Wu, Chao; Yang, Zhen; Liu, Chun-Xiang; Zong, Cheng

2017-12-20

The genus Molpa Walker was previously considered to be disjunctly distributed in broad-leaf rain forests in India and Malaysia. Here we report one new species Molpa dulongensis sp. nov. from subtropic broad-leaf rain forests in southwestern Yunnan Province in China. This is a part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot area. So we can infer that Molpa is continuously distributed in broad-leaf rain forests found in Oriental Region. Redescription of the genus Molpa and description of the new species Molpa dulongensis sp. nov. are provided. The types are deposited in Insect Collection of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (IZCAS).

Mode coupling in 340 μm GeO2 doped core-silica clad optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djordjevich, Alexandar; Savović, Svetislav

2017-03-01

The state of mode coupling in 340 μm GeO2 doped core-silica clad optical fibers is investigated in this article using the power flow equation. The coupling coefficient in this equation was first tuned such that the equation could correctly reconstruct previously reported measured output power distributions. It was found that the GeO2 doped core-silica clad optical fiber showed stronger mode coupling than both, glass and popular plastic optical fibers. Consequently, the equilibrium as well as steady state mode distributions were achieved at shorter fiber lengths in GeO2 doped core-silica clad optical fibers.

Gyrator transform of Gaussian beams with phase difference and generation of hollow beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Zhiyu; Xia, Hui; Yu, Tao; Xie, Ding; Xie, Wenke

2018-03-01

The optical expression of Gaussian beams with phase difference, which is caused by gyrator transform (GT), has been obtained. The intensity and phase distribution of transform Gaussian beams are analyzed. It is found that the circular hollow vortex beam can be obtained by overlapping two GT Gaussian beams with π phase difference. The effect of parameters on the intensity and phase distributions of the hollow vortex beam are discussed. The results show that the shape of intensity distribution is significantly influenced by GT angle α and propagation distance z. The size of the hollow vortex beam can be adjusted by waist width ω 0. Compared with previously reported results, the work shows that the hollow vortex beam can be obtained without any model conversion of the light source.

High Reynolds Number Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) Flight Experiment. Report 4; Suction System Design and Manufacture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This document describes the design of the leading edge suction system for flight demonstration of hybrid laminar flow control on the Boeing 757 airplane. The exterior pressures on the wing surface and the required suction quantity and distribution were determined in previous work. A system consisting of porous skin, sub-surface spanwise passages ("flutes"), pressure regulating screens and valves, collection fittings, ducts and a turbocompressor was defined to provide the required suction flow. Provisions were also made for flexible control of suction distribution and quantity for HLFC research purposes. Analysis methods for determining pressure drops and flow for transpiration heating for thermal anti-icing are defined. The control scheme used to observe and modulate suction distribution in flight is described.

New records of lampriform fishes (Teleostei: Lampriformes) from the Pacific coast of lower Central America, with comments on the diversity, taxonomy and distribution of the Lampriformes in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

PubMed

Angulo, Arturo; López-Sánchez, Myrna I

2017-02-23

New records of occurrence for four species of lampriform fishes (Teleostei: Lampriformes; Desmodema polystictum, Regalecus russelii, Trachipterus fukuzakii and Zu cristatus) poorly known or previously unknown for the Pacific coast of lower Central America (Costa Rica-Panama) are herein reported. Museum specimens supporting such records are characterized and described. Comparative morphometric and meristic data on other collections and species of lampriforms, as well as distributional information, are provided and discussed. Diversity, taxonomy and distribution of the eastern Pacific species of the order also are briefly discussed. Finally, a key to the eastern Pacific species of the Lampriformes, based on our research and data available in the literature, is presented.

Gyrator transform of Gaussian beams with phase difference and generation of hollow beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Zhiyu; Xia, Hui; Yu, Tao; Xie, Ding; Xie, Wenke

2018-06-01

The optical expression of Gaussian beams with phase difference, which is caused by gyrator transform (GT), has been obtained. The intensity and phase distribution of transform Gaussian beams are analyzed. It is found that the circular hollow vortex beam can be obtained by overlapping two GT Gaussian beams with π phase difference. The effect of parameters on the intensity and phase distributions of the hollow vortex beam are discussed. The results show that the shape of intensity distribution is significantly influenced by GT angle α and propagation distance z. The size of the hollow vortex beam can be adjusted by waist width ω 0. Compared with previously reported results, the work shows that the hollow vortex beam can be obtained without any model conversion of the light source.

Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Centile Curves and Distributions by Age of Hospitalized Critically Ill Children.

PubMed

Eytan, Danny; Goodwin, Andrew J; Greer, Robert; Guerguerian, Anne-Marie; Laussen, Peter C

2017-01-01

Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) form the basis for monitoring the physiological state of patients. Although norms have been published for healthy and hospitalized children, little is known about their distributions in critically ill children. The objective of this study was to report the distributions of these basic physiological variables in hospitalized critically ill children. Continuous data from bedside monitors were collected and stored at 5-s intervals from 3,677 subjects aged 0-18 years admitted over a period of 30 months to the pediatric and cardiac intensive care units at a large quaternary children's hospital. Approximately 1.13 billion values served to estimate age-specific distributions for these two basic physiological variables: HR and intra-arterial BP. Centile curves were derived from the sample distributions and compared to common reference ranges. Properties such as kurtosis and skewness of these distributions are described. In comparison to previously published reference ranges, we show that children in these settings exhibit markedly higher HRs than their healthy counterparts or children hospitalized on in-patient wards. We also compared commonly used published estimates of hypotension in children (e.g., the PALS guidelines) to the values we derived from critically ill children. This is a first study reporting the distributions of basic physiological variables in children in the pediatric intensive care settings, and the percentiles derived may serve as useful references for bedside clinicians and clinical trials.

Voice-onset time and buzz-onset time identification: A ROC analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Bascuas, Luis E.; Rosner, Burton S.; Garcia-Albea, Jose E.

2004-05-01

Previous studies have employed signal detection theory to analyze data from speech and nonspeech experiments. Typically, signal distributions were assumed to be Gaussian. Schouten and van Hessen [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 104, 2980-2990 (1998)] explicitly tested this assumption for an intensity continuum and a speech continuum. They measured response distributions directly and, assuming an interval scale, concluded that the Gaussian assumption held for both continua. However, Pastore and Macmillan [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, 2432 (2002)] applied ROC analysis to Schouten and van Hessen's data, assuming only an ordinal scale. Their ROC curves suppported the Gaussian assumption for the nonspeech signals only. Previously, Lopez-Bascuas [Proc. Audit. Bas. Speech Percept., 158-161 (1997)] found evidence with a rating scale procedure that the Gaussian model was inadequate for a voice-onset time continuum but not for a noise-buzz continuum. Both continua contained ten stimuli with asynchronies ranging from -35 ms to +55 ms. ROC curves (double-probability plots) are now reported for each pair of adjacent stimuli on the two continua. Both speech and nonspeech ROCs often appeared nonlinear, indicating non-Gaussian signal distributions under the usual zero-variance assumption for response criteria.

Teaching for All? Teach For America’s Effects across the Distribution of Student Achievement

PubMed Central

Penner, Emily K.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the effect of Teach For America (TFA) on the distribution of student achievement in elementary school. It extends previous research by estimating quantile treatment effects (QTE) to examine how student achievement in TFA and non-TFA classrooms differs across the broader distribution of student achievement. It also updates prior distributional work on TFA by correcting for previously unidentified missing data and estimating unconditional, rather than conditional QTE. Consistent with previous findings, results reveal a positive impact of TFA teachers across the distribution of math achievement. In reading, however, relative to veteran non-TFA teachers, students at the bottom of the reading distribution score worse in TFA classrooms, and students in the upper half of the distribution perform better. PMID:27668032

Spatial Distribution of Io's Neutral Oxygen Cloud Observed by Hisaki

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koga, Ryoichi; Tsuchiya, Fuminori; Kagitani, Masato; Sakanoi, Takeshi; Yoneda, Mizuki; Yoshioka, Kazuo; Yoshikawa, Ichiro; Kimura, Tomoki; Murakami, Go; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Smith, H. Todd; Bagenal, Fran

2018-05-01

We report on the spatial distribution of a neutral oxygen cloud surrounding Jupiter's moon Io and along Io's orbit observed by the Hisaki satellite. Atomic oxygen and sulfur in Io's atmosphere escape from the exosphere mainly through atmospheric sputtering. Some of the neutral atoms escape from Io's gravitational sphere and form neutral clouds around Jupiter. The extreme ultraviolet spectrograph called EXCEED (Extreme Ultraviolet Spectroscope for Exospheric Dynamics) installed on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hisaki satellite observed the Io plasma torus continuously in 2014-2015, and we derived the spatial distribution of atomic oxygen emissions at 130.4 nm. The results show that Io's oxygen cloud is composed of two regions, namely, a dense region near Io and a diffuse region with a longitudinally homogeneous distribution along Io's orbit. The dense region mainly extends on the leading side of Io and inside of Io's orbit. The emissions spread out to 7.6 Jupiter radii (RJ). Based on Hisaki observations, we estimated the radial distribution of the atomic oxygen number density and oxygen ion source rate. The peak atomic oxygen number density is 80 cm-3, which is spread 1.2 RJ in the north-south direction. We found more oxygen atoms inside Io's orbit than a previous study. We estimated the total oxygen ion source rate to be 410 kg/s, which is consistent with the value derived from a previous study that used a physical chemistry model based on Hisaki observations of ultraviolet emission ions in the Io plasma torus.

Statistical analyses support power law distributions found in neuronal avalanches.

PubMed

Klaus, Andreas; Yu, Shan; Plenz, Dietmar

2011-01-01

The size distribution of neuronal avalanches in cortical networks has been reported to follow a power law distribution with exponent close to -1.5, which is a reflection of long-range spatial correlations in spontaneous neuronal activity. However, identifying power law scaling in empirical data can be difficult and sometimes controversial. In the present study, we tested the power law hypothesis for neuronal avalanches by using more stringent statistical analyses. In particular, we performed the following steps: (i) analysis of finite-size scaling to identify scale-free dynamics in neuronal avalanches, (ii) model parameter estimation to determine the specific exponent of the power law, and (iii) comparison of the power law to alternative model distributions. Consistent with critical state dynamics, avalanche size distributions exhibited robust scaling behavior in which the maximum avalanche size was limited only by the spatial extent of sampling ("finite size" effect). This scale-free dynamics suggests the power law as a model for the distribution of avalanche sizes. Using both the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic and a maximum likelihood approach, we found the slope to be close to -1.5, which is in line with previous reports. Finally, the power law model for neuronal avalanches was compared to the exponential and to various heavy-tail distributions based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance and by using a log-likelihood ratio test. Both the power law distribution without and with exponential cut-off provided significantly better fits to the cluster size distributions in neuronal avalanches than the exponential, the lognormal and the gamma distribution. In summary, our findings strongly support the power law scaling in neuronal avalanches, providing further evidence for critical state dynamics in superficial layers of cortex.

Combining citizen science species distribution models and stable isotopes reveals migratory connectivity in the secretive Virginia rail

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fournier, Auriel M. V.; Sullivan, Alexis R.; Bump, Joseph K.; Perkins, Marie; Shieldcastle, Mark C.; King, Sammy L.

2017-01-01

Stable hydrogen isotope (δD) methods for tracking animal movement are widely used yet often produce low resolution assignments. Incorporating prior knowledge of abundance, distribution or movement patterns can ameliorate this limitation, but data are lacking for most species. We demonstrate how observations reported by citizen scientists can be used to develop robust estimates of species distributions and to constrain δD assignments.We developed a Bayesian framework to refine isotopic estimates of migrant animal origins conditional on species distribution models constructed from citizen scientist observations. To illustrate this approach, we analysed the migratory connectivity of the Virginia rail Rallus limicola, a secretive and declining migratory game bird in North America.Citizen science observations enabled both estimation of sampling bias and construction of bias-corrected species distribution models. Conditioning δD assignments on these species distribution models yielded comparably high-resolution assignments.Most Virginia rails wintering across five Gulf Coast sites spent the previous summer near the Great Lakes, although a considerable minority originated from the Chesapeake Bay watershed or Prairie Pothole region of North Dakota. Conversely, the majority of migrating Virginia rails from a site in the Great Lakes most likely spent the previous winter on the Gulf Coast between Texas and Louisiana.Synthesis and applications. In this analysis, Virginia rail migratory connectivity does not fully correspond to the administrative flyways used to manage migratory birds. This example demonstrates that with the increasing availability of citizen science data to create species distribution models, our framework can produce high-resolution estimates of migratory connectivity for many animals, including cryptic species. Empirical evidence of links between seasonal habitats will help enable effective habitat management, hunting quotas and population monitoring and also highlight critical knowledge gaps.

Materials Science Research Rack-1 Fire Suppressant Distribution Test Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wieland, P. O.

2002-01-01

Fire suppressant distribution testing was performed on the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1), a furnace facility payload that will be installed in the U.S. Lab module of the International Space Station. Unlike racks that were tested previously, the MSRR-1 uses the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) to reduce vibration on experiments, so the effects of ARIS on fire suppressant distribution were unknown. Two tests were performed to map the distribution of CO2 fire suppressant throughout a mockup of the MSRR-1 designed to have the same component volumes and flowpath restrictions as the flight rack. For the first test, the average maximum CO2 concentration for the rack was 60 percent, achieved within 45 s of discharge initiation, meeting the requirement to reach 50 percent throughout the rack within 1 min. For the second test, one of the experiment mockups was removed to provide a worst-case configuration, and the average maximum CO2 concentration for the rack was 58 percent. Comparing the results of this testing with results from previous testing leads to several general conclusions that can be used to evaluate future racks. The MSRR-1 will meet the requirements for fire suppressant distribution. Primary factors that affect the ability to meet the CO2 distribution requirements are the free air volume in the rack and the total area and distribution of openings in the rack shell. The length of the suppressant flowpath and degree of tortuousness has little correlation with CO2 concentration. The total area of holes in the rack shell could be significantly increased. The free air volume could be significantly increased. To ensure the highest maximum CO2 concentration, the PFE nozzle should be inserted to the stop on the nozzle.

Can the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) Succeed in Mindanao Where Previous Agreements Failed?

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University , Singapore, argues that “small arms proliferation and a weak rule of law” will hurt...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited CAN THE 2014...0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing

An endogenous foamy virus in the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis).

PubMed

Han, Guan-Zhu; Worobey, Michael

2012-07-01

We report the discovery and analysis of an endogenous foamy virus (PSFVaye) within the genome of the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a strepsirrhine primate from Madagascar. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that PSFVaye is divergent from all known simian foamy viruses, suggesting an association between foamy viruses and primates since the haplorrhine-strepsirrhine split. The discovery of PSFVaye indicates that primate foamy virus might be more broadly distributed than previously thought.

Arrays of Synthetic Atoms: Nanocapacitor Batteries with Large Energy Density and Small Leak Currents

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-11-28

is exempt from public affairs security and policy review in accordance with AFI 61-201, paragraph 2.3.5.1. This report is available to the general... AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT We assembled nanocapacitors with...of its performance data with theoretical predictions. We investigated recovery of alumina nanocapacitors after high -voltage breakdown. Previously

Dissolved and colloidal trace elements in the Mississippi River Delta outflow after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shim, Moo-Joon; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Shiller, Alan M.

2012-01-01

The Mississippi River delta outflow region is periodically disturbed by tropical weather systems including major hurricanes, which can terminate seasonal bottom water hypoxia and cause the resuspension of shelf bottom sediments which could result in the injection of trace elements into the water column. In the summer of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita passed over the Louisiana Shelf within a month of each other. Three weeks after Rita, we collected water samples in the Mississippi River delta outflow, examining the distributions of trace elements to study the effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We observed limited stratification on the shelf and bottom waters that were no longer hypoxic. This resulted, for instance, in bottom water dissolved Mn being lower than is typically observed during hypoxia, but with concentrations still compatible with Mn–O2 trends previously reported. Interestingly, for no element were we able to identify an obvious effect of sediment resuspension on its distribution. In general, elemental distributions were compatible with previous observations in the Mississippi outflow system. Co and Re, which have not been reported for this system previously, showed behavior consistent with other systems: input for Co likely from desorption and conservative mixing for Re. For Cs, an element for which there is little information regarding its estuarine behavior, conservative mixing was also observed. Our filtration method, which allowed us to distinguish the dissolved (<0.02 μm) from colloidal (0.02–0.45 μm) phase, revealed significant colloidal fractions for Fe and Zn, only. For Fe, the colloidal phase was the dominant fraction and was rapidly removed at low salinity. Dissolved Fe, in contrast, persisted out to mid-salinities, being removed in a similar fashion to nitrate. This ability to distinguish the smaller Fe (likely dominantly organically complexed) from larger colloidal suspensates may be useful in better interpreting the bioavailablity of the Fe in estuarine systems.

Dissolved and colloidal trace elements in the Mississippi River delta outflow after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, Moo-Joon; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Shiller, Alan M.

2012-07-01

The Mississippi River delta outflow region is periodically disturbed by tropical weather systems including major hurricanes, which can terminate seasonal bottom water hypoxia and cause the resuspension of shelf bottom sediments which could result in the injection of trace elements into the water column. In the summer of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita passed over the Louisiana Shelf within a month of each other. Three weeks after Rita, we collected water samples in the Mississippi River delta outflow, examining the distributions of trace elements to study the effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We observed limited stratification on the shelf and bottom waters that were no longer hypoxic. This resulted, for instance, in bottom water dissolved Mn being lower than is typically observed during hypoxia, but with concentrations still compatible with Mn-O2 trends previously reported. Interestingly, for no element were we able to identify an obvious effect of sediment resuspension on its distribution. In general, elemental distributions were compatible with previous observations in the Mississippi outflow system. Co and Re, which have not been reported for this system previously, showed behavior consistent with other systems: input for Co likely from desorption and conservative mixing for Re. For Cs, an element for which there is little information regarding its estuarine behavior, conservative mixing was also observed. Our filtration method, which allowed us to distinguish the dissolved (<0.02 μm) from colloidal (0.02-0.45 μm) phase, revealed significant colloidal fractions for Fe and Zn, only. For Fe, the colloidal phase was the dominant fraction and was rapidly removed at low salinity. Dissolved Fe, in contrast, persisted out to mid-salinities, being removed in a similar fashion to nitrate. This ability to distinguish the smaller Fe (likely dominantly organically complexed) from larger colloidal suspensates may be useful in better interpreting the bioavailablity of the Fe in estuarine systems.

Drivers' and non-drivers' performance in a change detection task with static driving scenes: is there a benefit of experience?

PubMed

Zhao, Nan; Chen, Wenfeng; Xuan, Yuming; Mehler, Bruce; Reimer, Bryan; Fu, Xiaolan

2014-01-01

The 'looked-but-failed-to-see' phenomenon is crucial to driving safety. Previous research utilising change detection tasks related to driving has reported inconsistent effects of driver experience on the ability to detect changes in static driving scenes. Reviewing these conflicting results, we suggest that drivers' increased ability to detect changes will only appear when the task requires a pattern of visual attention distribution typical of actual driving. By adding a distant fixation point on the road image, we developed a modified change blindness paradigm and measured detection performance of drivers and non-drivers. Drivers performed better than non-drivers only in scenes with a fixation point. Furthermore, experience effect interacted with the location of the change and the relevance of the change to driving. These results suggest that learning associated with driving experience reflects increased skill in the efficient distribution of visual attention across both the central focus area and peripheral objects. This article provides an explanation for the previously conflicting reports of driving experience effects in change detection tasks. We observed a measurable benefit of experience in static driving scenes, using a modified change blindness paradigm. These results have translational opportunities for picture-based training and testing tools to improve driver skill.

Detection of Cercopithifilaria bainae in western Romania.

PubMed

Andersson, Martin O; Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia

2017-11-01

Cercopithifilaria species are tick-transmitted filarial parasites of mammals. In Europe, three Cercopithifilaria spp. are known to parasitize dogs, all occurring mainly in the Mediterranean countries. In Romania, Cercopithifilaria bainae has been reported in a single dog in eastern Romania but the occurrence in other parts of the country is not known. To further elucidate the geographic distribution of Cercopithifilaria spp. infection, 544 ticks were collected from dogs in several locations across Romania. The presence of Cercopithifilaria spp. was investigated with real-time PCR. A single Dermacentor reticulatus female tick was found to be infected with Cercopithifilaria bainae. The finding in the present study is geographically separated from the previous finding in Romania by 800 km, as well as by the Carpathian mountain range. Hence, C. bainae is more geographically widespread in Romania than previously recognized. However, the single detection does suggest that infection is rather uncommon in Romanian dogs. Nevertheless, further studies on Cercopithifilaria spp. distribution and prevalence are needed.

The distribution of carbon monoxide and ozone in the free troposphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seiler, G.; Fishman, J.

1981-01-01

The two-dimensional distributions of CO and O3 in the free troposphere during July and August, 1974, are discussed. The data confirm the previous findings that both of these gases are considerably more abundant in the northern hemisphere, but the degree of the asymmetry is somewhat different from what had been reported previously, especially for CO. When examined with respect to other available data sets, the conclusion is drawn that a pronounced seasonal cycle exists for CO in both hemispheres which may be driven by the likely seasonal cycle of the OH radical. The data also indicate that CO concentrations exhibit significant variability with height in the northern hemisphere, whereas southern hemispheric concentrations are quite constant with altitude except in cases where interhemispheric exchange of air may be occurring. A discussion on the vertical and horizontal transport processes inferred from the CO and O3 measurements is presented. The possible interdependence of the photochemical cycles of these two trace gases is also discussed.

Absolute I(asterisk) quantum yields for the ICN A state by diode laser gain-vs-absorption spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, Wayne P.; Leone, Stephen R.

1987-01-01

Absolute I(asterisk) quantum yields have been measured as a function of wavelength for room temperature photodissociation of the ICN A state continuum. The yields are obtained by the technique of time-resolved diode laser gain-vs-absorption spectroscopy. Quantum yields are evaluated at seven wavelengths from 248 to 284 nm. The yield at 266 nm is 66.0 + or - 2 percent and it falls off to 53.4 + or - 2 percent and 44.0 + or - 4 percent at 284 and 248 nm, respectively. The latter values are significantly higher than those obtained by previous workers using infrared fluorescence. Estimates of I(asterisk) quantum yields obtained from analysis of CN photofragment rotational distributions, as discussed by other workers, are in good agreement with the I(asterisk) yields reported here. The results are considered in conjunction with recent theoretical and experimental work on the CN rotational distributions and with previous I(asterisk) quantum yield results.

Evolution of semilocal string networks. II. Velocity estimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Eiguren, A.; Urrestilla, J.; Achúcarro, A.; Avgoustidis, A.; Martins, C. J. A. P.

2017-07-01

We continue a comprehensive numerical study of semilocal string networks and their cosmological evolution. These can be thought of as hybrid networks comprised of (nontopological) string segments, whose core structure is similar to that of Abelian Higgs vortices, and whose ends have long-range interactions and behavior similar to that of global monopoles. Our study provides further evidence of a linear scaling regime, already reported in previous studies, for the typical length scale and velocity of the network. We introduce a new algorithm to identify the position of the segment cores. This allows us to determine the length and velocity of each individual segment and follow their evolution in time. We study the statistical distribution of segment lengths and velocities for radiation- and matter-dominated evolution in the regime where the strings are stable. Our segment detection algorithm gives higher length values than previous studies based on indirect detection methods. The statistical distribution shows no evidence of (anti)correlation between the speed and the length of the segments.

Natural Field Infestation of Mangifera casturi and Mangifera lalijiwa by Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae).

PubMed

McQuate, Grant T; Sylva, Charmaine D; Liquido, Nicanor J

2017-01-01

Mango, Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae), is a crop cultivated pantropically. There are, however, many other Mangifera spp ("mango relatives") which have much more restricted distributions and are poorly known but have potential to produce mango-like fruits in areas where mangoes do not grow well or could be tapped in mango breeding programs. Because of the restricted distribution of many of the Mangifera spp, there has also been limited data collected on susceptibility of their fruits to infestation by tephritid fruit flies which is important to know for concerns both for quality of production and for quarantine security of fruit exports. Here, we report on natural field infestation by the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), of two mango relatives native to Indonesia: Mangifera casturi and Mangifera lalijiwa . Rates of infestation of fruits of these two Mangifera spp by tephritid fruit flies have not previously been reported.

Three-dimensional spatiotemporal focusing of holographic patterns

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Oscar; Papagiakoumou, Eirini; Tanese, Dimitrii; Fidelin, Kevin; Wyart, Claire; Emiliani, Valentina

2016-01-01

Two-photon excitation with temporally focused pulses can be combined with phase-modulation approaches, such as computer-generated holography and generalized phase contrast, to efficiently distribute light into two-dimensional, axially confined, user-defined shapes. Adding lens-phase modulations to 2D-phase holograms enables remote axial pattern displacement as well as simultaneous pattern generation in multiple distinct planes. However, the axial confinement linearly degrades with lateral shape area in previous reports where axially shifted holographic shapes were not temporally focused. Here we report an optical system using two spatial light modulators to independently control transverse- and axial-target light distribution. This approach enables simultaneous axial translation of single or multiple spatiotemporally focused patterns across the sample volume while achieving the axial confinement of temporal focusing. We use the system's capability to photoconvert tens of Kaede-expressing neurons with single-cell resolution in live zebrafish larvae. PMID:27306044

Natural Field Infestation of Mangifera casturi and Mangifera lalijiwa by Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

PubMed Central

McQuate, Grant T; Sylva, Charmaine D; Liquido, Nicanor J

2017-01-01

Mango, Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae), is a crop cultivated pantropically. There are, however, many other Mangifera spp (“mango relatives”) which have much more restricted distributions and are poorly known but have potential to produce mango-like fruits in areas where mangoes do not grow well or could be tapped in mango breeding programs. Because of the restricted distribution of many of the Mangifera spp, there has also been limited data collected on susceptibility of their fruits to infestation by tephritid fruit flies which is important to know for concerns both for quality of production and for quarantine security of fruit exports. Here, we report on natural field infestation by the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), of two mango relatives native to Indonesia: Mangifera casturi and Mangifera lalijiwa. Rates of infestation of fruits of these two Mangifera spp by tephritid fruit flies have not previously been reported. PMID:28890657

Shoe-Floor Interactions in Human Walking With Slips: Modeling and Experiments.

PubMed

Trkov, Mitja; Yi, Jingang; Liu, Tao; Li, Kang

2018-03-01

Shoe-floor interactions play a crucial role in determining the possibility of potential slip and fall during human walking. Biomechanical and tribological parameters influence the friction characteristics between the shoe sole and the floor and the existing work mainly focus on experimental studies. In this paper, we present modeling, analysis, and experiments to understand slip and force distributions between the shoe sole and floor surface during human walking. We present results for both soft and hard sole material. The computational approaches for slip and friction force distributions are presented using a spring-beam networks model. The model predictions match the experimentally observed sole deformations with large soft sole deformation at the beginning and the end stages of the stance, which indicates the increased risk for slip. The experiments confirm that both the previously reported required coefficient of friction (RCOF) and the deformation measurements in this study can be used to predict slip occurrence. Moreover, the deformation and force distribution results reported in this study provide further understanding and knowledge of slip initiation and termination under various biomechanical conditions.

New distribution records of the savanna specialist fungus-farming ant Cyatta Sosa-Calvo et al. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

PubMed Central

Feitosa, Rodrigo Machado; Vasconcelos, Heraldo Luis; Maravalhas, Jonas

2016-01-01

Abstract Background The fungus-farming ant genus Cyatta (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) is represented by a single species, C. abscondita Sosa-Calvo et al., known from a few localities in Brazil (in the states of Ceará, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and the Distrito Federal), and a single locality in the Misiones province, Argentina. Cyatta is known to occur predominantly in savanna habitats and occasionally in the transition zones between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. New information The new records reported here significantly expand the previously known distribution of Cyatta abscondita and provide further support for the intimate relation between this species and the savannas of South America. We report the first occurrence of the genus in southern Brazil (Paraná state) and the westernmost occurrence (Bolivia) of Cyatta abscondita, which extend its distribution approximately 1450 km to the west. Finally, we discuss the importance of mapping inconspicuous species in order to develop strategies for protecting endangered areas and to increase our understanding of the evolutionary history of organisms and biomes. PMID:27932931

Differential Partitioning of Triterpenes and Triterpene Esters in Apple Peel.

PubMed

Poirier, Brenton C; Buchanan, David A; Rudell, David R; Mattheis, James P

2018-02-28

Apple peel is a rich source of secondary metabolites, and several studies have outlined the dietary health benefits of ursane-type triterpenes in apple. Changes in triterpene metabolism have also been associated with the development of superficial scald, a postharvest apple peel browning disorder, and postharvest applications of diphenylamine and 1-methylcyclopropene. Previously, studies have generated metabolite profiles for whole apple peel or apple wax. In this study, we report separate metabolic analyses of isolated wax fractions and peel epidermis to investigate the spatial distribution of secondary metabolites in peel. In addition to examining previously reported triterpenes, we identified several unreported fatty acid esters of ursane-type triterpenes (C14-C22). All free pentacyclic triterpenes and triterpenic acids, with the exception of β-amyrin, were localized in the wax layer, along with esters of ursolic acid and uvaol. All sterols, sterol derivatives and α-amyrin esters were localized in the dewaxed peel epidermis.

Ethnic Distribution of ECG Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation and Its Impact on Understanding the Ethnic Distribution of Ischemic Stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

PubMed Central

Soliman, Elsayed Z.; Prineas, Ronald J.; Case, L. Douglas; Zhang, Zhu-ming; Goff, David C.

2009-01-01

Background and Purpose The paradox of the reported low prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in blacks compared with whites despite higher stroke rates in the former could be related to limitations in the current methods used to diagnose AF in population-based studies. Hence, this study aimed to use the ethnic distribution of ECG predictors of AF as measures of AF propensity in different ethnic groups. Methods The distribution of baseline measures of P-wave terminal force, P-wave duration, P-wave area, and PR duration (referred to as AF predictors) were compared by ethnicity in 15 429 participants (27% black) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study by unpaired t test, χ2, and logistic-regression analysis, as appropriate. Cox proportional-hazards analysis was used to separately examine the association of AF predictors with incident AF and ischemic stroke. Results Whereas AF was significantly less common in blacks compared with whites (0.24% vs 0.95%, P<0.0001), similar to what has been reported in previous studies, blacks had significantly higher and more abnormal values of AF predictors (P<0.0001 for all comparisons). Black ethnicity was significantly associated with abnormal AF predictors compared with whites; odds ratios for different AF predictors ranged from 2.1 to 3.1. AF predictors were significantly and independently associated with AF and ischemic stroke with no significant interaction between ethnicity and AF predictors, findings that further justify using AF predictors as an earlier indicator of future risk of AF and stroke. Conclusions There is a disconnect between the ethnic distribution of AF predictors and the ethnic distribution of AF, probably because the former, unlike the latter, do not suffer from low sensitivity. These results raise the possibility that blacks might actually have a higher prevalence of AF that might have been missed by previous studies owing to limited methodology, a difference that could partially explain the greater stroke risk in blacks. PMID:19213946

Vertebral Compression Fractures after Lumbar Instrumentation.

PubMed

Granville, Michelle; Berti, Aldo; Jacobson, Robert E

2017-09-29

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is primarily found in an older population. This is a similar demographic group that develops both osteoporosis and vertebral compression fractures (VCF). This report reviewed a series of patients treated for VCF that had previous lumbar surgery for symptomatic spinal stenosis. Patients that only underwent laminectomy or fusion without instrumentation had a similar distribution of VCF as the non-surgical population in the mid-thoracic, or lower thoracic and upper lumbar spine. However, in the patients that had previous short-segment spinal instrumentation, fractures were found to be located more commonly in the mid-lumbar spine or sacrum adjacent to or within one or two spinal segments of the spinal instrumentation. Adjacent-level fractures that occur due to vertebral osteoporosis after long spinal segment instrumentation has been discussed in the literature. The purpose of this report is to highlight the previously unreported finding of frequent lumbar and sacral osteoporotic fractures in post-lumbar instrumentation surgery patients. Important additional factors found were lack of preventative medical treatment for osteoporosis, and secondary effects related to inactivity, especially during the first year after surgery.

Photovoltaic Impact Assessment of Smart Inverter Volt-VAR Control on Distribution System Conservation Voltage Reduction and Power Quality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, Fei; Nagarajan, Adarsh; Chakraborty, Sudipta

This report presents an impact assessment study of distributed photovoltaic (PV) with smart inverter Volt-VAR control on conservation voltage reduction (CVR) energy savings and distribution system power quality. CVR is a methodology of flattening and lowering a distribution system voltage profile in order to conserve energy. Traditional CVR relies on operating utility voltage regulators and switched capacitors. However, with the increased penetration of distributed PV systems, smart inverters provide the new opportunity to control local voltage and power factor by regulating the reactive power output, leading to a potential increase in CVR energy savings. This report proposes a methodology tomore » implement CVR scheme by operating voltage regulators, capacitors, and autonomous smart inverter Volt-VAR control in order to achieve increased CVR benefit. Power quality is an important consideration when operating a distribution system, especially when implementing CVR. It is easy to measure the individual components that make up power quality, but a comprehensive method to incorporate all of these values into a single score has yet to be undertaken. As a result, this report proposes a power quality scoring mechanism to measure the relative power quality of distribution systems using a single number, which is aptly named the 'power quality score' (PQS). Both the CVR and PQS methodologies were applied to two distribution system models, one obtained from the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and another obtained from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). These two models were converted to the OpenDSS platform using previous model conversion tools that were developed by NREL. Multiple scenarios including various PV penetration levels and smart inverter densities were simulated to analyze the impact of smart inverter Volt-VAR support on CVR energy savings and feeder power quality. In order to analyze the CVR benefit and PQS, an annual simulation was conducted for each scenario.« less

Concerning the flow about ring-shaped cowlings Part II : annular bodies of infinite length with circulation for smooth entrance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuchemann, Dietrich; Weber, Johanna

1951-01-01

The investigations carried out in a previous report (NACA TM 1325) concerning the flow about ring-shaped cowlings were extended by taking a circulation about the cowling into consideration. The present second report treats bodies of infinite length with approximately smooth entrance. The circulation was caused by distributing vortex rings of constant density over a stream surface extending to infinity. Furthermore, the influence of a hub body on such cowlings was dealt with. The examples treated are meant to give the designer a basis for his design.

Values of the phase space factors for double beta decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stoica, Sabin, E-mail: stoica@theory.nipne.ro; Mirea, Mihai; Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului street, P.O. Box MG6, Magurele

2015-10-28

We report an up-date list of the experimentally most interesting phase space factors for double beta decay (DBD). The electron/positron wave functions are obtained by solving the Dirac equations with a Coulomb potential derived from a realistic proton density distribution in nucleus and with inclusion of the finite nuclear size (FNS) and electron screening (ES) effects. We build up new numerical routines which allow us a good control of the accuracy of calculations. We found several notable differences as compared with previous results reported in literature and possible sources of these discrepancies are discussed.

Palladium nanoparticles formed on titanium silicate ETS-10.

PubMed

Lin, Christopher C H; Danaie, Mohsen; Mitlin, David; Kuznicki, Steven M

2011-03-01

We report that surface templated and supported palladium nanoparticles self assemble on ETS-10 type molecular sieve surfaces by simple exchange and activation procedures in the absence of a reductant. This procedure is similar to the one previously reported for silver nanoparticle self assembly on ETS-10. We observed a bimodal distribution with particle sizes ranging from 2-5 and 15-30 nm. This simple, economical method generates high concentrations (approximately 12 wt% of total composite) of uniform, metallic palladium nanoparticles that are multiply twinned and thermally stable making them potentially unique for advanced catalytic and electronic applications.

Surface Water Records of California, 1962; Volume 2: Northern Great Basin and Central Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

1962-01-01

Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data are being released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic data reports is limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided.

New geographic records of Hamlets, Hypoplectrus spp. (Serranidae), in the Caribbean Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Ernest H.; Bunkley-Williams, Lucy; Rogers, Caroline S.; Fenner, Robert

2006-01-01

The exact number of species of hamlets, Hypoplectrus spp., in the Caribbean is controversial and the geographic distributions of these species/forms are poorly documented. We report Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, as a new locality for the Barred Hamlet, H. puella (Cuvier), and Shy Hamlet, H. guttavarius (Poey); and St. John and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for the Tan Hamlet, Hypoplectrus sp. The Black Hamlet, H. nigricans (Poey), has previously been reported from Curaçao, but we did not see it there.

Paulogramma hydarnis (n. comb.) (Nymphalidae: Biblidinae): Distribution, Systematic Position, and Conservation Status of a Rare and Endangered Butterfly.

PubMed

Freitas, A V L; Kaminski, L A; Iserhard, C A; Magaldi, L M; Wahlberg, N; Silva-Brandão, K L; Marini-Filho, O J

2014-06-01

The nymphalid Paulogramma hydarnis (Godart) (n. comb., previously in the genus Callicore) is an endangered butterfly present in a few montane sites in the Atlantic Forest in the Southeastern Brazil. The precise systematic position of P. hydarnis was previously unknown. Based on molecular data, we find that it is sister to Paulogramma pygas (Godart) (n. comb., also previously in Callicore), a common and widespread species in the Neotropics. In addition, we find that Callicore is not monophyletic and that "Callicore" hydarnis (along with other species) is more related to the genus Paulogramma, and should thus be placed in that genus. The genus Paulogramma is now composed by the following species: Paulogramma pyracmon (Godart), Paulogramma eunomia (Hewitson) n. comb., Paulogramma hydarnis (Godart) n. comb., Paulogramma hystaspes (Fabricius) n. comb., Paulogramma pygas (Godart) n. comb., and Paulogramma tolima (Hewitson, 1852) n. comb. Museum specimens and field data report P. hydarnis in four sites in Southeastern Brazil. Recently, P. hydarnis was recorded for the first time at Parque Nacional do Caparaó, states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, expanding its distribution about 200 km northward of the previously known limit. Although regularly recorded in some sites, most records are historic, before the 1960s, and the current conservation situation of this species is delicate, deserving attention.

Distribution of Animal Drugs among Curd, Whey, and Milk Protein Fractions in Spiked Skim Milk and Whey.

PubMed

Shappell, Nancy W; Shelver, Weilin L; Lupton, Sara J; Fanaselle, Wendy; Van Doren, Jane M; Hakk, Heldur

2017-02-01

It is important to understand the partitioning of drugs in processed milk and milk products, when drugs are present in raw milk, in order to estimate the potential consumer exposure. Radioisotopically labeled erythromycin, ivermectin, ketoprofen, oxytetracycline, penicillin G, sulfadimethoxine, and thiabendazole were used to evaluate the distribution of animal drugs among rennet curd, whey, and protein fractions from skim cow milk. Our previous work reported the distribution of these same drugs between skim and fat fractions of milk. Drug distribution between curd and whey was significantly correlated (R 2 = 0.70) to the drug's lipophilicity (log P), with improved correlation using log D (R 2 = 0.95). Distribution of drugs was concentration independent over the range tested (20-2000 nM). With the exception of thiabendazole and ivermectin, more drug was associated with whey protein than casein on a nmol/g protein basis (oxytetracycline experiment not performed). These results provide insights into the distribution of animal drug residues, if present in cow milk, among milk fractions, with possible extrapolation to milk products.

Defining multiple, distinct, and shared spatiotemporal patterns of DNA replication and endoreduplication from 3D image analysis of developing maize (Zea mays L.) root tip nuclei.

PubMed

Bass, Hank W; Hoffman, Gregg G; Lee, Tae-Jin; Wear, Emily E; Joseph, Stacey R; Allen, George C; Hanley-Bowdoin, Linda; Thompson, William F

2015-11-01

Spatiotemporal patterns of DNA replication have been described for yeast and many types of cultured animal cells, frequently after cell cycle arrest to aid in synchronization. However, patterns of DNA replication in nuclei from plants or naturally developing organs remain largely uncharacterized. Here we report findings from 3D quantitative analysis of DNA replication and endoreduplication in nuclei from pulse-labeled developing maize root tips. In both early and middle S phase nuclei, flow-sorted on the basis of DNA content, replicative labeling was widely distributed across euchromatic regions of the nucleoplasm. We did not observe the perinuclear or perinucleolar replicative labeling patterns characteristic of middle S phase in mammals. Instead, the early versus middle S phase patterns in maize could be distinguished cytologically by correlating two quantitative, continuous variables, replicative labeling and DAPI staining. Early S nuclei exhibited widely distributed euchromatic labeling preferentially localized to regions with weak DAPI signals. Middle S nuclei also exhibited widely distributed euchromatic labeling, but the label was preferentially localized to regions with strong DAPI signals. Highly condensed heterochromatin, including knobs, replicated during late S phase as previously reported. Similar spatiotemporal replication patterns were observed for both mitotic and endocycling maize nuclei. These results revealed that maize euchromatin exists as an intermingled mixture of two components distinguished by their condensation state and replication timing. These different patterns might reflect a previously described genome organization pattern, with "gene islands" mostly replicating during early S phase followed by most of the intergenic repetitive regions replicating during middle S phase.

Latitude, Energy, and Time Variations of Energetic Neutral Atom Spectral indices Measured by IBEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Mihir; McComas, David; Dayeh, Maher; Funsten, Herbert; Schwadron, Nathan; Heerikhuisen, Jacob; Fuselier, Stephen; Pogorelov, Nikolai; Zank, Gary; Allegrini, Frederic

2016-04-01

We investigate the latitude, energy, and time variations of the globally distributed 0.5-6 keV energetic neutral atom (ENA) spectra measured by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) during the first 5 years of the mission. Our previous results based on the first 3 years of IBEX observations showed that the ENA spectral indices at the two lowest energies (0.89 and 1.47 keV) exhibit no clear trend with ecliptic latitude θ, while those at ˜2.29 and ˜3.41 keV exhibit a clear latitudinal pattern; flatter spectra occur above 60° latitude and steeper spectra occur ±30° of the equator. While these results confirmed the previously reported latitudinal organization of the ENA spectra and their remarkable similarity to that of the solar wind (SW) speed observed by Ulysses in the inner heliosphere, we also showed that, unlike previous reports, the ˜0.5-6 keV globally distributed ENA spectral indices could not be represented as single power laws over much of the sky, and that they depend on energy and latitude. In this work we extend the above results to include years 4 and 5 of IBEX observations and investigate if the spectral indices vary as a function of time. Finally, we discuss implications of our results on models and simulations that seek to map the IBEX ENA observations back to the latitudinal profile of the SW speed structure observed in the inner heliosphere. We also discuss the implications of these new results for observational requirements for upcoming missions like IMAP.

Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS): A lymphocytic reactive response of the central nervous system? A case report.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaolin; Huang, Dehui; Huang, Xusheng; Zhang, Jiatang; Ran, Ye; Lou, Xin; Gui, Qiuping; Yu, Shengyuan

2017-04-15

Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroid (CLIPPERS) was first described in 2010. The characteristic clinical picture, radiological distribution and steroid response have been well-described in previous reports. However, the underlying pathogenesis and nosological position of CLIPPERS in the CNS require further investigation for the primary CNS lymphoma have been identified by autopsy subsequently. Here, we report a 51-year-old woman who was diagnosed with CLIPPERS but progressed to primary CNS lymphomatoid granulomatosis, which supports that CLIPPERS is not just an inflammatory CNS disorder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rediscovery and uncertain future of high-elevation Haleakala carabid beetles (Coleoptera)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krushelnycky, Paul D.; Gillespie, Rosemary G.; Loope, Lloyd L.; Liebherr, James K.

2005-01-01

Recent biotic surveys in subalpine shrubland on Haleakala¯ Volcano, Maui, Hawai‘i, have resulted in rediscovery of several species of carabid beetles previously known only from their nineteenth-century type specimens. Blackburnia lenta (Sharp), described from specimens collected just below Haleakala¯ summit in 1894, was found at lower elevational sites ranging from 2,400 to 2,750 m. Mecyclothorax rusticus Sharp, last seen in 1896, and M. nubicola (Blackburn), collected only in 1878, were also rediscovered in that vicinity. Recent collections of B. lenta contradict the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s previous classification of this species as one likely to be extinct. Nevertheless, B. lenta’s known distribution comprises only 145 ha within an elevational zone that is bounded above and below by unicolonial populations of the invasive alien Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr). The known recent collections of M. rusticus and M. nubicola also occurred outside the distributional range of the Argentine ant. Mature eggs held in the lateral oviducts of B. lenta females averaged 1.4 the volume of the largest eggs previously reported among 13 species of Blackburnia. We hypothesize that the giant eggs of B. lenta result from selective forces favoring large, well-nourished developing and hatched first-instar larvae, consistent with a patchy distribution of suitable microhabitat and prey in the subalpine Haleakala¯ landscape. The specialized life history of B. lenta, and coincidence of distributional limits of the three rediscovered carabid species with range limits of the Argentine ant populations suggest that all would be jeopardized by future distributional expansion of Argentine ant. These intersecting phenomena compel us to conclude that B. lenta, M. nubicola, and M. rusticus are appropriate candidates for I.U.C.N. threatened species designation, pending further studies of their geographic ranges and historical trends in abundance.

Suprathermal electrons associated with a plasma discharge on an active sounding rocket experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bale, S. D.; Kellogg, P. J.; Monson, S. J.; Anderson, H. R.; Potter, D. W.

1995-12-01

Electrons with energies up to 600 eV are observed with the retarding potential analyzer (RPA) instrument aboard the Several Compatible Experiments (SCEX) III sounding rocket. The electrons are concomitant with high-energy (2-6 keV) electron gun injections and also evidence themselves by luminosity observed with 3805 Å and 3914 Å photometers. Both the collected electron flux and luminosity measurements are strongly nonlinear with gun injection current. For a typical event, the electron distribution is similar to laboratory beam-plasma discharge (BPD) distributions reported by Sharp (1982) and when backed by HF electric field observations (Goerke et al., 1992; Llobet et al., 1985), the BPD mechanism becomes a most likely explanation. Strong turbulence theories of BPD predict a power law tail in the electron distribution, and we compare our spectral index with some previous observations.

[Computerized monitoring for integrated cervical screening. Rationale, methods and indicators of participation].

PubMed

Bucchi, L; Pierri, C; Caprara, L; Cortecchia, S; De Lillo, M; Bondi, A

2003-02-01

This paper presents a computerised system for the monitoring of integrated cervical screening, i.e. the integration of spontaneous Pap smear practice into organised screening. The general characteristics of the system are described, including background and rationale (integrated cervical screening in European countries, impact of integration on monitoring, decentralised organization of screening and levels of monitoring), general methods (definitions, sections, software description, and setting of application), and indicators of participation (distribution by time interval since previous Pap smear, distribution by screening sector--organised screening centres vs public and private clinical settings--, distribution by time interval between the last two Pap smears, and movement of women between the two screening sectors). Also, the paper reports the results of the application of these indicators in the general database of the Pathology Department of Imola Health District in northern Italy.

Bioactive natural compounds from the plant endophytic fungi Pestalotiopsis spp.

PubMed

Wang, Kuiwu; Lei, Jinxiu; Wei, Jiguang; Yao, Nan

2012-11-01

The plant-endophytic strains of the fungus Pestalotiopsis (Amphisphaeriaceae) are distributed throughout the world. Previous chemical investigation of members of the genus resulted in the discovery of various bioactive secondary metabolites including chromones, cytosporones, polyketides, terpenoids and coumarins with diverse structural features. The present report reviews the papers, which have appeared in the literature till now, concerning the isolation, structural elucidation, and biological activities of the secondary metabolites from Pestalotiopsis species.

Foundational Report Series: Advanced Distribution Management Systems for Grid Modernization, DMS Industry Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Ravindra; Uluski, Robert; Reilly, James T.

The objective of this survey is to benchmark current practices for DMS implementation to serve as a guide for future system implementations. The survey sought information on current plans to implement DMS, DMS functions of interest, implementation challenges, functional benefits achieved, and other relevant information. These survey results were combined (where possible) with results of similar surveys conducted in the previous four years to observe trends over time.

First records of Archiconnus and Obesoconnus in Costa Rica (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae).

PubMed

JaŁoszyŃski, PaweŁ

2018-02-21

The occurrence of the glandulariinae genera Obesoconnus and Archiconnus in Costa Rica is reported for the first time. Obesoconnus was previously known from Mexico and French Guyana; Obesoconnus costaricanus sp. n. fills the gap in the hitherto known distribution of this remarkable genus. Archiconnus was known only from the northern part of Peru (east of the Andes); Archiconnus limonensis sp. n. broadens the known genus range ~ 2000 km to north-west.

Spark Gap Electrode Erosion

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

N~JFOSR-TR- 85-0282 o ~FINAL REPORT S SPARK GAP ELECTRODE EROSION 00i Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant No. 84-0015- Approve", t’r p...OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Texas Tech University IDibj Air Office of Scientific Research it- ADORESS rCat.. State and ZIP CG*, 7b. ADONESS ’CitY...spark gap was measured for various electrode, gas, and pressure combinations. A previously developed model of self breakdown voltage distribution was

Impingement of Water Droplets on a Sphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorsch, Robert G.; Saper, Paul G.; Kadow, Charles F.

1955-01-01

Droplet trajectories about a sphere in ideal fluid flow were calculated. From the calculated droplet trajectories the droplet impingement characteristics of the sphere were determined. Impingement data and equations for determining the collection efficiency, the area, and the distribution of impingement are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters. The range of flight and atmospheric conditions covered in the calculations was extended considerably beyond the range covered by previously reported calculations for the sphere.

Reported historic asbestos prospects and natural asbestos occurrences in the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2006-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 26 natural asbestos occurrences in the Central United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Central U.S. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which began with U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1189 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenberg, S.D.; Smith, S.; Swank, P.R.

Visual cell profiles were used to analyze the distribution of atypical bronchial cells in sputum specimens from cigarette-smoking volunteers, cigarette-smoking asbestos workers and cigarette-smoking uranium miners. The preliminary results of these sputum visual cell profile studies have demonstrated distinctive distributions of bronchial cell atypias in progressive patterns of squamous metaplasia, mild, moderate and severe atypias and carcinoma, similar to those the authors have previously reported using cell image analysis techniques to determine an atypia status index (ASI). The information gained from this study will be helpful in further validating this ASI and subsequently achieving the ultimate goal of employing cellmore » image analysis for the rapid and precise identification of premalignant atypias in sputum.« less

Silicon in Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv: content, distribution, and ultrastructure.

PubMed

Rufo, Lourdes; Franco, Alejandro; de la Fuente, Vicenta

2014-07-01

Silicon concentration, distribution, and ultrastructure of silicon deposits in the Poaceae Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv. have been studied. This grass, known for its medicinal uses and also for Fe hyperaccumulation and biomineralization capacities, showed a concentration of silicon of 13,705 ± 9,607 mg/kg dry weight. Silicon was found as an important constituent of cell walls of the epidermis of the whole plant. Silica deposits were found in silica bodies, endodermis, and different cells with silicon-collapsed lumen as bulliforms, cortical, and sclerenchyma cells. Transmission electron microscope observations of these deposits revealed an amorphous material of an ultrastructure similar to that previously reported in silica bodies of other Poaceae.

Interaction of 1.05 μm and 0.53 μm lasers with gold disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shenye, Liu; Yaonan, Ding; Zhijian, Zheng; Daoyuan, Tang

1996-05-01

Gold disks were irradiated with 1.05 μm and 0.53 μm lasers at pulse duration of ˜0.8 ns, intensity ranging from 5×1013 W/cm2 to 4×1015 W/cm2 on the SHEN GUANG I laser facility in China. The experimental results of laser absorption, scattering light, x-ray emission and plasma blow-off are presented in this paper. When the laser irradiated the gold disk obliquely, the angular distribution of scattered lights produced by 0.53 μm lasers disagree with that predicted by the Brillouin scattering theory. The angular distribution is different from that reported previously by the others.

Freeze-drying of nanosuspensions, 1: freezing rate versus formulation design as critical factors to preserve the original particle size distribution.

PubMed

Beirowski, Jakob; Inghelbrecht, Sabine; Arien, Albertina; Gieseler, Henning

2011-05-01

It has been recently reported in the literature that using a fast freezing rate during freeze-drying of drug nanosuspensions is beneficial to preserve the original particle size distribution. All freezing rates studied were obtained by utilizing a custom-made apparatus and were then indirectly related to conventional vial freeze-drying. However, a standard freeze-dryer is only capable of achieving moderate freezing rates in the shelf fluid circulation system. Therefore, it was the purpose of the present study to evaluate the possibility to establish a typical freezing protocol applicable to a standard freeze-drying unit in combination with an adequate choice of cryoprotective excipients and steric stabilizers to preserve the original particle size distribution. Six different drug nanosuspensions containing itraconazole as a drug model were studied using freeze-thaw experiments and a full factorial design to reveal major factors for the stabilization of drug nanosuspensions and the corresponding interactions. In contrast to previous reports, the freezing regime showed no significant influence on preserving the original particle size distribution, suggesting that the concentrations of both the steric stabilizer and the cryoprotective agent are optimized. Moreover, it could be pinpointed that the combined effect of steric stabilizer and cryoprotectant clearly contribute to nanoparticle stability. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Univariate and multivariate skewness and kurtosis for measuring nonnormality: Prevalence, influence and estimation.

PubMed

Cain, Meghan K; Zhang, Zhiyong; Yuan, Ke-Hai

2017-10-01

Nonnormality of univariate data has been extensively examined previously (Blanca et al., Methodology: European Journal of Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, 9(2), 78-84, 2013; Miceeri, Psychological Bulletin, 105(1), 156, 1989). However, less is known of the potential nonnormality of multivariate data although multivariate analysis is commonly used in psychological and educational research. Using univariate and multivariate skewness and kurtosis as measures of nonnormality, this study examined 1,567 univariate distriubtions and 254 multivariate distributions collected from authors of articles published in Psychological Science and the American Education Research Journal. We found that 74 % of univariate distributions and 68 % multivariate distributions deviated from normal distributions. In a simulation study using typical values of skewness and kurtosis that we collected, we found that the resulting type I error rates were 17 % in a t-test and 30 % in a factor analysis under some conditions. Hence, we argue that it is time to routinely report skewness and kurtosis along with other summary statistics such as means and variances. To facilitate future report of skewness and kurtosis, we provide a tutorial on how to compute univariate and multivariate skewness and kurtosis by SAS, SPSS, R and a newly developed Web application.

Bubbles Are Departures from Equilibrium Housing Markets: Evidence from Singapore and Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chou, Chung-I; Li, Sai-Ping; Tee, Shang You; Cheong, Siew Ann

2016-01-01

The housing prices in many Asian cities have grown rapidly since mid-2000s, leading to many reports of bubbles. However, such reports remain controversial as there is no widely accepted definition for a housing bubble. Previous studies have focused on indices, or assumed that home prices are lognomally distributed. Recently, Ohnishi et al. showed that the tail-end of the distribution of (Japan/Tokyo) becomes fatter during years where bubbles are suspected, but stop short of using this feature as a rigorous definition of a housing bubble. In this study, we look at housing transactions for Singapore (1995 to 2014) and Taiwan (2012 to 2014), and found strong evidence that the equilibrium home price distribution is a decaying exponential crossing over to a power law, after accounting for different housing types. We found positive deviations from the equilibrium distributions in Singapore condominiums and Zhu Zhai Da Lou in the Greater Taipei Area. These positive deviations are dragon kings, which thus provide us with an unambiguous and quantitative definition of housing bubbles. Also, the spatial-temporal dynamics show that bubble in Singapore is driven by price pulses in two investment districts. This finding provides a valuable insight for policymakers on implementation and evaluation of cooling measures. PMID:27812187

Bubbles Are Departures from Equilibrium Housing Markets: Evidence from Singapore and Taiwan.

PubMed

Tay, Darrell Jiajie; Chou, Chung-I; Li, Sai-Ping; Tee, Shang You; Cheong, Siew Ann

2016-01-01

The housing prices in many Asian cities have grown rapidly since mid-2000s, leading to many reports of bubbles. However, such reports remain controversial as there is no widely accepted definition for a housing bubble. Previous studies have focused on indices, or assumed that home prices are lognomally distributed. Recently, Ohnishi et al. showed that the tail-end of the distribution of (Japan/Tokyo) becomes fatter during years where bubbles are suspected, but stop short of using this feature as a rigorous definition of a housing bubble. In this study, we look at housing transactions for Singapore (1995 to 2014) and Taiwan (2012 to 2014), and found strong evidence that the equilibrium home price distribution is a decaying exponential crossing over to a power law, after accounting for different housing types. We found positive deviations from the equilibrium distributions in Singapore condominiums and Zhu Zhai Da Lou in the Greater Taipei Area. These positive deviations are dragon kings, which thus provide us with an unambiguous and quantitative definition of housing bubbles. Also, the spatial-temporal dynamics show that bubble in Singapore is driven by price pulses in two investment districts. This finding provides a valuable insight for policymakers on implementation and evaluation of cooling measures.

Impact of the cation distribution homogeneity on the americium oxidation state in the U0.54Pu0.45Am0.01O2-x mixed oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vauchy, Romain; Robisson, Anne-Charlotte; Martin, Philippe M.; Belin, Renaud C.; Aufore, Laurence; Scheinost, Andreas C.; Hodaj, Fiqiri

2015-01-01

The impact of the cation distribution homogeneity of the U0.54Pu0.45Am0.01O2-x mixed oxide on the americium oxidation state was studied by coupling X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe micro analysis (EPMA) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Oxygen-hypostoichiometric Am-bearing uranium-plutonium mixed oxide pellets were fabricated by two different co-milling based processes in order to obtain different cation distribution homogeneities. The americium was generated from β- decay of 241Pu. The XRD analysis of the obtained compounds did not reveal any structural difference between the samples. EPMA, however, revealed a high homogeneity in the cation distribution for one sample, and substantial heterogeneity of the U-Pu (so Am) distribution for the other. The difference in cation distribution was linked to a difference in Am chemistry as investigated by XAS, with Am being present at mixed +III/+IV oxidation state in the heterogeneous compound, whereas only Am(IV) was observed in the homogeneous compound. Previously reported discrepancies on Am oxidation states can hence be explained by cation distribution homogeneity effects.

Genomic copy number variations in three Southeast Asian populations.

PubMed

Ku, Chee-Seng; Pawitan, Yudi; Sim, Xueling; Ong, Rick T H; Seielstad, Mark; Lee, Edmund J D; Teo, Yik-Ying; Chia, Kee-Seng; Salim, Agus

2010-07-01

Research on the role of copy number variations (CNVs) in the genetic risk of diseases in Asian populations has been hampered by a relative lack of reference CNV maps for Asian populations outside the East Asians. In this article, we report the population characteristics of CNVs in Chinese, Malay, and Asian Indian populations in Singapore. Using the Illumina Human 1M Beadchip array, we identify 1,174 CNV loci in these populations that corroborated with findings when the same samples were typed on the Affymetrix 6.0 platform. We identify 441 novel loci not previously reported in the Database of Genomic Variations (DGV). We observe a considerable number of loci that span all three populations and were previously unreported, as well as population-specific loci that are quite common in the respective populations. From this we observe the distribution of CNVs in the Asian Indian population to be considerably different from the Chinese and Malay populations. About half of the deletion loci and three-quarters of duplication loci overlap UCSC genes. Tens of loci show population differentiation and overlap with genes previously known to be associated with genetic risk of diseases. One of these loci is the CYP2A6 deletion, previously linked to reduced susceptibility to lung cancer. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Distribution and habitat use of red panda in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape of Nepal

PubMed Central

Sherpa, Peema; Thapa, Gokarna Jung; Kokh, Manish; Lama, Sonam Tashi; Khanal, Kapil; Thapa, Arjun; Jnawali, Shant Raj

2017-01-01

In Nepal, the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) has been sparsely studied, although its range covers a wide area. The present study was carried out in the previously untapped Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) situated in central Nepal with an aim to explore current distributional status and identify key habitat use. Extensive field surveys conducted in 10 red panda range districts were used to estimate species distribution by presence-absence occupancy modeling and to predict distribution by presence-only modeling. The presence of red pandas was recorded in five districts: Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Myagdi, Baglung and Dhading. The predictive distribution model indicated that 1,904.44 km2 of potential red panda habitat is available in CHAL with the protected area covering nearly 41% of the total habitat. The habitat suitability analysis based on the probability of occurrence showed only 16.58% (A = 315.81 km2) of the total potential habitat is highly suitable. Red Panda occupancy was estimated to be around 0.0667, indicating nearly 7% (218 km2) of the total habitat is occupied with an average detection probability of 0.4482±0.377. Based on the habitat use analysis, altogether eight variables including elevation, slope, aspect, proximity to water sources, bamboo abundance, height, cover, and seasonal precipitation were observed to have significant roles in the distribution of red pandas. In addition, 25 tree species were documented from red panda sign plots out of 165 species recorded in the survey area. Most common was Betula utilis followed by Rhododendron spp. and Abies spectabilis. The extirpation of red pandas in previously reported areas indicates a need for immediate action for the long-term conservation of this species in CHAL. PMID:29020020

Distribution and habitat use of red panda in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape of Nepal.

PubMed

Bista, Damber; Shrestha, Saroj; Sherpa, Peema; Thapa, Gokarna Jung; Kokh, Manish; Lama, Sonam Tashi; Khanal, Kapil; Thapa, Arjun; Jnawali, Shant Raj

2017-01-01

In Nepal, the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) has been sparsely studied, although its range covers a wide area. The present study was carried out in the previously untapped Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) situated in central Nepal with an aim to explore current distributional status and identify key habitat use. Extensive field surveys conducted in 10 red panda range districts were used to estimate species distribution by presence-absence occupancy modeling and to predict distribution by presence-only modeling. The presence of red pandas was recorded in five districts: Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Myagdi, Baglung and Dhading. The predictive distribution model indicated that 1,904.44 km2 of potential red panda habitat is available in CHAL with the protected area covering nearly 41% of the total habitat. The habitat suitability analysis based on the probability of occurrence showed only 16.58% (A = 315.81 km2) of the total potential habitat is highly suitable. Red Panda occupancy was estimated to be around 0.0667, indicating nearly 7% (218 km2) of the total habitat is occupied with an average detection probability of 0.4482±0.377. Based on the habitat use analysis, altogether eight variables including elevation, slope, aspect, proximity to water sources, bamboo abundance, height, cover, and seasonal precipitation were observed to have significant roles in the distribution of red pandas. In addition, 25 tree species were documented from red panda sign plots out of 165 species recorded in the survey area. Most common was Betula utilis followed by Rhododendron spp. and Abies spectabilis. The extirpation of red pandas in previously reported areas indicates a need for immediate action for the long-term conservation of this species in CHAL.

Genome-wide association of body fat distribution in African ancestry populations suggests new loci.

PubMed

Liu, Ching-Ti; Monda, Keri L; Taylor, Kira C; Lange, Leslie; Demerath, Ellen W; Palmas, Walter; Wojczynski, Mary K; Ellis, Jaclyn C; Vitolins, Mara Z; Liu, Simin; Papanicolaou, George J; Irvin, Marguerite R; Xue, Luting; Griffin, Paula J; Nalls, Michael A; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Liu, Jiankang; Li, Guo; Ruiz-Narvaez, Edward A; Chen, Wei-Min; Chen, Fang; Henderson, Brian E; Millikan, Robert C; Ambrosone, Christine B; Strom, Sara S; Guo, Xiuqing; Andrews, Jeanette S; Sun, Yan V; Mosley, Thomas H; Yanek, Lisa R; Shriner, Daniel; Haritunians, Talin; Rotter, Jerome I; Speliotes, Elizabeth K; Smith, Megan; Rosenberg, Lynn; Mychaleckyj, Josyf; Nayak, Uma; Spruill, Ida; Garvey, W Timothy; Pettaway, Curtis; Nyante, Sarah; Bandera, Elisa V; Britton, Angela F; Zonderman, Alan B; Rasmussen-Torvik, Laura J; Chen, Yii-Der Ida; Ding, Jingzhong; Lohman, Kurt; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Zhao, Wei; Peyser, Patricia A; Kardia, Sharon L R; Kabagambe, Edmond; Broeckel, Ulrich; Chen, Guanjie; Zhou, Jie; Wassertheil-Smoller, Sylvia; Neuhouser, Marian L; Rampersaud, Evadnie; Psaty, Bruce; Kooperberg, Charles; Manson, Joann E; Kuller, Lewis H; Ochs-Balcom, Heather M; Johnson, Karen C; Sucheston, Lara; Ordovas, Jose M; Palmer, Julie R; Haiman, Christopher A; McKnight, Barbara; Howard, Barbara V; Becker, Diane M; Bielak, Lawrence F; Liu, Yongmei; Allison, Matthew A; Grant, Struan F A; Burke, Gregory L; Patel, Sanjay R; Schreiner, Pamela J; Borecki, Ingrid B; Evans, Michele K; Taylor, Herman; Sale, Michele M; Howard, Virginia; Carlson, Christopher S; Rotimi, Charles N; Cushman, Mary; Harris, Tamara B; Reiner, Alexander P; Cupples, L Adrienne; North, Kari E; Fox, Caroline S

2013-01-01

Central obesity, measured by waist circumference (WC) or waist-hip ratio (WHR), is a marker of body fat distribution. Although obesity disproportionately affects minority populations, few studies have conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) of fat distribution among those of predominantly African ancestry (AA). We performed GWAS of WC and WHR, adjusted and unadjusted for BMI, in up to 33,591 and 27,350 AA individuals, respectively. We identified loci associated with fat distribution in AA individuals using meta-analyses of GWA results for WC and WHR (stage 1). Overall, 25 SNPs with single genomic control (GC)-corrected p-values<5.0 × 10(-6) were followed-up (stage 2) in AA with WC and with WHR. Additionally, we interrogated genomic regions of previously identified European ancestry (EA) WHR loci among AA. In joint analysis of association results including both Stage 1 and 2 cohorts, 2 SNPs demonstrated association, rs2075064 at LHX2, p = 2.24×10(-8) for WC-adjusted-for-BMI, and rs6931262 at RREB1, p = 2.48×10(-8) for WHR-adjusted-for-BMI. However, neither signal was genome-wide significant after double GC-correction (LHX2: p = 6.5 × 10(-8); RREB1: p = 5.7 × 10(-8)). Six of fourteen previously reported loci for waist in EA populations were significant (p<0.05 divided by the number of independent SNPs within the region) in AA studied here (TBX15-WARS2, GRB14, ADAMTS9, LY86, RSPO3, ITPR2-SSPN). Further, we observed associations with metabolic traits: rs13389219 at GRB14 associated with HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting insulin, and rs13060013 at ADAMTS9 with HDL-cholesterol and fasting insulin. Finally, we observed nominal evidence for sexual dimorphism, with stronger results in AA women at the GRB14 locus (p for interaction = 0.02). In conclusion, we identified two suggestive loci associated with fat distribution in AA populations in addition to confirming 6 loci previously identified in populations of EA. These findings reinforce the concept that there are fat distribution loci that are independent of generalized adiposity.

Management of orthodontic emergencies in primary care - self-reported confidence of general dental practitioners.

PubMed

Popat, H; Thomas, K; Farnell, D J J

2016-07-08

Objective To determine general dental practitioners' (GDPs) confidence in managing orthodontic emergencies.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Primary dental care.Subjects and methods An online survey was distributed to dentists practicing in Wales. The survey collected basic demographic information and included descriptions of ten common orthodontic emergency scenarios.Main outcome measure Respondents' self-reported confidence in managing the orthodontic emergency scenarios on a 5-point Likert scale. Differences between the Likert responses and the demographic variables were investigated using chi-squared tests.Results The median number of orthodontic emergencies encountered by respondents over the previous six months was 1. Overall, the self-reported confidence of respondents was high with 7 of the 10 scenarios presented scoring a median of 4 indicating that GDPs were 'confident' in their management. Statistical analysis revealed that GDPs who saw more orthodontic emergencies in the previous six months were more confident when managing the presented scenarios. Other variables such as age, gender, geographic location of practice and number of years practising dentistry were not associated with self-reported confidence.Conclusions Despite GDPs encountering very few orthodontic emergencies in primary care, they appear to be confident in dealing with commonly arising orthodontic emergency situations.

Quantum key distribution over 120 km using ultrahigh purity single-photon source and superconducting single-photon detectors

PubMed Central

Takemoto, Kazuya; Nambu, Yoshihiro; Miyazawa, Toshiyuki; Sakuma, Yoshiki; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Yorozu, Shinichi; Arakawa, Yasuhiko

2015-01-01

Advances in single-photon sources (SPSs) and single-photon detectors (SPDs) promise unique applications in the field of quantum information technology. In this paper, we report long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD) by using state-of-the-art devices: a quantum-dot SPS (QD SPS) emitting a photon in the telecom band of 1.5 μm and a superconducting nanowire SPD (SNSPD). At the distance of 100 km, we obtained the maximal secure key rate of 27.6 bps without using decoy states, which is at least threefold larger than the rate obtained in the previously reported 50-km-long QKD experiment. We also succeeded in transmitting secure keys at the rate of 0.307 bps over 120 km. This is the longest QKD distance yet reported by using known true SPSs. The ultralow multiphoton emissions of our SPS and ultralow dark count of the SNSPD contributed to this result. The experimental results demonstrate the potential applicability of QD SPSs to practical telecom QKD networks. PMID:26404010

Number of infection events per cell during HIV-1 cell-free infection.

PubMed

Ito, Yusuke; Remion, Azaria; Tauzin, Alexandra; Ejima, Keisuke; Nakaoka, Shinji; Iwasa, Yoh; Iwami, Shingo; Mammano, Fabrizio

2017-07-26

HIV-1 accumulates changes in its genome through both recombination and mutation during the course of infection. For recombination to occur, a single cell must be infected by two HIV strains. These coinfection events were experimentally demonstrated to occur more frequently than would be expected for independent infection events and do not follow a random distribution. Previous mathematical modeling approaches demonstrated that differences in target cell susceptibility can explain the non-randomness, both in the context of direct cell-to-cell transmission, and in the context of free virus transmission (Q. Dang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:632-7, 2004: K. M. Law et al., Cell reports 15:2711-83, 2016). Here, we build on these notions and provide a more detailed and extensive quantitative framework. We developed a novel mathematical model explicitly considering the heterogeneity of target cells and analysed datasets of cell-free HIV-1 single and double infection experiments in cell culture. Particularly, in contrast to the previous studies, we took into account the different susceptibility of the target cells as a continuous distribution. Interestingly, we showed that the number of infection events per cell during cell-free HIV-1 infection follows a negative-binomial distribution, and our model reproduces these datasets.

Development of Protection and Control Unit for Distribution Substation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iguchi, Fumiaki; Hayashi, Hideyuki; Takeuchi, Motohiro; Kido, Mitsuyasu; Kobayashi, Takashi; Yanaoka, Atsushi

The Recently, electronics and IT technologies have been rapidly innovated and have been introduced to power system protection & control system to achieve high reliability, maintainability and more functionality. Concerning the distribution substation application, digital relays have been applied for more than 10 years. Because of a number of electronic devices used for it, product cost becomes higher. Also, products installed during the past high-growth period will be at the end of lifetime and will be replaced. Therefore, replacing market is expected to grow and the reduction of cost is demanded. Considering above mentioned background, second generation digital protection and control unit as a successor is designed to have following concepts. Functional integration based on advanced digital technologies, Ethernet LAN based indoor communication network, cost reduction and downsizing. Pondering above concepts, integration of protection and control function is adopted in contrary to the functional segregation applied to the previous system in order to achieve one-unit concept. Also the adoption of Ethernet LAN for inter-unit communication is objective. This report shows the development of second-generation digital relay for distribution substation, which is equipped with control function and Ethernet LAN by reducing the size of auxiliary transformer unit and the same size as previous product is realized.

Current distribution of North American river otters in central and eastern Oklahoma, with seven new county records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barrett, Dominic A.; Leslie, David M.

2010-01-01

In 1984 and 1985, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reintroduced North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) from coastal Louisiana into eastern Oklahoma. Those reintroductions and immigration from Arkansas and possibly northeastern Texas allowed river otters to become reestablished in eastern Oklahoma. Our goals were to determine the contemporary distribution of river otters in central and eastern Oklahoma with voucher specimens, sign surveys, and mail surveys and to compare proportion of positive detections among watersheds. We report new distributional records with voucher specimens from seven counties (Adair, Bryan, Coal, Johnston, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Tulsa) in Oklahoma. We also provide locality information for specimens collected from four counties (Haskell, McCurtain, Muskogee, Wagoner) where river otters were described in published literature but no voucher specimens existed. During winter and spring 2006 and 2007, we visited 340 bridge sites in 28 watersheds in eastern and central Oklahoma and identified river otter signs in 16 counties where river otters were not previously documented in published literature or by voucher specimens. Proportion of positive sites within each watershed ranged 0–100%. Mail surveys suggested that river otters occurred in eight additional counties where they were not previously documented by published literature, voucher specimens, or sign-survey efforts.

General solution of the chemical master equation and modality of marginal distributions for hierarchic first-order reaction networks.

PubMed

Reis, Matthias; Kromer, Justus A; Klipp, Edda

2018-01-20

Multimodality is a phenomenon which complicates the analysis of statistical data based exclusively on mean and variance. Here, we present criteria for multimodality in hierarchic first-order reaction networks, consisting of catalytic and splitting reactions. Those networks are characterized by independent and dependent subnetworks. First, we prove the general solvability of the Chemical Master Equation (CME) for this type of reaction network and thereby extend the class of solvable CME's. Our general solution is analytical in the sense that it allows for a detailed analysis of its statistical properties. Given Poisson/deterministic initial conditions, we then prove the independent species to be Poisson/binomially distributed, while the dependent species exhibit generalized Poisson/Khatri Type B distributions. Generalized Poisson/Khatri Type B distributions are multimodal for an appropriate choice of parameters. We illustrate our criteria for multimodality by several basic models, as well as the well-known two-stage transcription-translation network and Bateman's model from nuclear physics. For both examples, multimodality was previously not reported.

Application of an unsteady-state model for predicting vertical temperature distribution to an existing atrium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takemasa, Yuichi; Togari, Satoshi; Arai, Yoshinobu

1996-11-01

Vertical temperature differences tend to be great in a large indoor space such as an atrium, and it is important to predict variations of vertical temperature distribution in the early stage of the design. The authors previously developed and reported on a new simplified unsteady-state calculation model for predicting vertical temperature distribution in a large space. In this paper, this model is applied to predicting the vertical temperature distribution in an existing low-rise atrium that has a skylight and is affected by transmitted solar radiation. Detailed calculation procedures that use the model are presented with all the boundary conditions, andmore » analytical simulations are carried out for the cooling condition. Calculated values are compared with measured results. The results of the comparison demonstrate that the calculation model can be applied to the design of a large space. The effects of occupied-zone cooling are also discussed and compared with those of all-zone cooling.« less

Efficiency of the human observer for detecting a Gaussian signal at a known location in non-Gaussian distributed lumpy backgrounds.

PubMed

Park, Subok; Gallas, Bradon D; Badano, Aldo; Petrick, Nicholas A; Myers, Kyle J

2007-04-01

A previous study [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A22, 3 (2005)] has shown that human efficiency for detecting a Gaussian signal at a known location in non-Gaussian distributed lumpy backgrounds is approximately 4%. This human efficiency is much less than the reported 40% efficiency that has been documented for Gaussian-distributed lumpy backgrounds [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A16, 694 (1999) and J. Opt. Soc. Am. A18, 473 (2001)]. We conducted a psychophysical study with a number of changes, specifically in display-device calibration and data scaling, from the design of the aforementioned study. Human efficiency relative to the ideal observer was found again to be approximately 5%. Our variance analysis indicates that neither scaling nor display made a statistically significant difference in human performance for the task. We conclude that the non-Gaussian distributed lumpy background is a major factor in our low human-efficiency results.

Characterization of microbial contamination in United States Air Force aviation fuel tanks.

PubMed

Rauch, Michelle E; Graef, Harold W; Rozenzhak, Sophie M; Jones, Sharon E; Bleckmann, Charles A; Kruger, Randell L; Naik, Rajesh R; Stone, Morley O

2006-01-01

Bacteria and fungi, isolated from United States Air Force (USAF) aviation fuel samples, were identified by gas chromatograph fatty acid methyl ester (GC-FAME) profiling and 16S or 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Thirty-six samples from 11 geographically separated USAF bases were collected. At each base, an above-ground storage tank, a refueling truck, and an aircraft wing tank were sampled at the lowest sample point, or sump, to investigate microbial diversity and dispersion within the fuel distribution chain. Twelve genera, including four Bacillus species and two Staphylococcus species, were isolated and identified. Bacillus licheniformis, the most prevalent organism isolated, was found at seven of the 11 bases. Of the organisms identified, Bacillus sp., Micrococcus luteus, Sphinogmonas sp., Staphylococcus sp., and the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans have previously been isolated from aviation fuel samples. The bacteria Pantoea ananatis, Arthrobacter sp., Alcaligenes sp., Kocuria rhizophilia, Leucobacter komagatae, Dietza sp., and the fungus Discophaerina fagi have not been previously reported in USAF aviation fuel. Only at two bases were the same organisms isolated from all three sample points in the fuel supply distribution chain. Isolation of previously undocumented organisms suggests either, changes in aviation fuel microbial community in response to changes in aviation fuel composition, additives and biocide use, or simply, improvements in isolation and identification techniques.

Optimizing Teleportation Cost in Distributed Quantum Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zomorodi-Moghadam, Mariam; Houshmand, Mahboobeh; Houshmand, Monireh

2018-03-01

The presented work provides a procedure for optimizing the communication cost of a distributed quantum circuit (DQC) in terms of the number of qubit teleportations. Because of technology limitations which do not allow large quantum computers to work as a single processing element, distributed quantum computation is an appropriate solution to overcome this difficulty. Previous studies have applied ad-hoc solutions to distribute a quantum system for special cases and applications. In this study, a general approach is proposed to optimize the number of teleportations for a DQC consisting of two spatially separated and long-distance quantum subsystems. To this end, different configurations of locations for executing gates whose qubits are in distinct subsystems are considered and for each of these configurations, the proposed algorithm is run to find the minimum number of required teleportations. Finally, the configuration which leads to the minimum number of teleportations is reported. The proposed method can be used as an automated procedure to find the configuration with the optimal communication cost for the DQC. This cost can be used as a basic measure of the communication cost for future works in the distributed quantum circuits.

Pore size distribution effect on rarefied gas transport in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hori, Takuma; Yoshimoto, Yuta; Takagi, Shu; Kinefuchi, Ikuya

2017-11-01

Gas transport phenomena in porous media are known to strongly influence the performance of devices such as gas separation membranes and fuel cells. Knudsen diffusion is a dominant flow regime in these devices since they have nanoscale pores. Many experiments have shown that these porous media have complex structures and pore size distributions; thus, the diffusion coefficient in these media cannot be easily assessed. Previous studies have reported that the characteristic pore diameter of porous media can be defined in light of the pore size distribution; however, tortuosity factor, which is necessary for the evaluation of diffusion coefficient, is still unknown without gas transport measurements or simulations. Thus, the relation between pore size distributions and tortuosity factors is required to obtain the gas transport properties. We perform numerical simulations to prove the relation between them. Porous media are numerically constructed while satisfying given pore size distributions. Then, the mean-square displacement simulation is performed to obtain the tortuosity factors of the constructed porous media.. This paper is based on results obtained from a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Development Organization (NEDO).

A Report of At-Scale Distribution of Chlorhexidine Digluconate 7.1% Gel for Newborn Cord Care to 36,404 Newborns in Sokoto State, Nigeria: Initial Lessons Learned

PubMed Central

Orobaton, Nosakhare; Abegunde, Dele; Shoretire, Kamil; Abdulazeez, Jumare; Fapohunda, Bolaji; Lamiri, Goli; Maishanu, Abubakar; Ganiyu, Akeem; Ndifon, Eric; Gwamzhi, Ringpon; Osborne-Smith, Matthew

2015-01-01

Background With an annual estimated 276,000 neonatal deaths, Nigeria has the second highest of any country in the world. Global progress in accelerating neonatal deaths is hinged to scaled-up interventions in Nigeria. We used routine data of chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% gel utilized by 36,404 newborns delivered by 36,370 mothers, to study lessons associated with at-scale distribution in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. Methods and Findings Under state government leadership, a community-based distribution system overseen by 244 ward development committees and over 3,440 community-based health volunteers and community drug keepers, was activated to deliver two locally stored medicines to women when labor commenced. Newborns and their mothers were tracked through 28 days and 42 days respectively, including verbal autopsy results. 36,404 or 26.3% of expected newborns received the gel from April 2013 to December 2013 throughout all 244 wards in the State. 99.97% of newborns survived past 28 days. There were 124 pre-verified neonatal deaths reported. Upon verification using verbal autopsy procedures, 76 deaths were stillborn and 48 were previously live births. Among the previous 48 live births, the main causes of death were sepsis (40%), asphyxia (29%) and prematurity (8%). Underuse of logistics management information by government in procurement decisions and not accounting for differences in LGA population sizes during commodity distribution, severely limited program scalability. Conclusions Enhancements in the predictable availability and supply of chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% gel to communities through better, evidence-based logistics management by the state public sector will most likely dramatically increase program scalability. Infections as a cause of mortality in babies delivered in home settings may be much higher than previously conceived. In tandem with high prevalence of stillborn deaths, delivery, interventions designed to increase mothers’ timely and regular use of quality antenatal care, and increased facility-based based delivery, need urgent attention. We call for accelerated investments in community health volunteer programs and the requisite community measurement systems to better track coverage. We also advocate for the development, refinement and use of routine community-based verbal autopsies to track newborn and maternal survival. PMID:26226017

A Report of At-Scale Distribution of Chlorhexidine Digluconate 7.1% Gel for Newborn Cord Care to 36,404 Newborns in Sokoto State, Nigeria: Initial Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Orobaton, Nosakhare; Abegunde, Dele; Shoretire, Kamil; Abdulazeez, Jumare; Fapohunda, Bolaji; Lamiri, Goli; Maishanu, Abubakar; Ganiyu, Akeem; Ndifon, Eric; Gwamzhi, Ringpon; Osborne-Smith, Matthew

2015-01-01

With an annual estimated 276,000 neonatal deaths, Nigeria has the second highest of any country in the world. Global progress in accelerating neonatal deaths is hinged to scaled-up interventions in Nigeria. We used routine data of chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% gel utilized by 36,404 newborns delivered by 36,370 mothers, to study lessons associated with at-scale distribution in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. Under state government leadership, a community-based distribution system overseen by 244 ward development committees and over 3,440 community-based health volunteers and community drug keepers, was activated to deliver two locally stored medicines to women when labor commenced. Newborns and their mothers were tracked through 28 days and 42 days respectively, including verbal autopsy results. 36,404 or 26.3% of expected newborns received the gel from April 2013 to December 2013 throughout all 244 wards in the State. 99.97% of newborns survived past 28 days. There were 124 pre-verified neonatal deaths reported. Upon verification using verbal autopsy procedures, 76 deaths were stillborn and 48 were previously live births. Among the previous 48 live births, the main causes of death were sepsis (40%), asphyxia (29%) and prematurity (8%). Underuse of logistics management information by government in procurement decisions and not accounting for differences in LGA population sizes during commodity distribution, severely limited program scalability. Enhancements in the predictable availability and supply of chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% gel to communities through better, evidence-based logistics management by the state public sector will most likely dramatically increase program scalability. Infections as a cause of mortality in babies delivered in home settings may be much higher than previously conceived. In tandem with high prevalence of stillborn deaths, delivery, interventions designed to increase mothers' timely and regular use of quality antenatal care, and increased facility-based based delivery, need urgent attention. We call for accelerated investments in community health volunteer programs and the requisite community measurement systems to better track coverage. We also advocate for the development, refinement and use of routine community-based verbal autopsies to track newborn and maternal survival.

Muscle activation patterns and motor anatomy of Anna's hummingbirds Calypte anna and zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata.

PubMed

Donovan, Edward R; Keeney, Brooke K; Kung, Eric; Makan, Sirish; Wild, J Martin; Altshuler, Douglas L

2013-01-01

Flying animals exhibit profound transformations in anatomy, physiology, and neural architecture. Although much is known about adaptations in the avian skeleton and musculature, less is known about neuroanatomy and motor unit integration for bird flight. Hummingbirds are among the most maneuverable and specialized of vertebrate fliers, and two unusual neuromuscular features have been previously reported: (1) the pectoralis major has a unique distribution pattern of motor end plates (MEPs) compared with all other birds and (2) electromyograms (EMGs) from the hummingbird's pectoral muscles, the pectoralis major and the supracoracoideus, show activation bursts composed of one or a few spikes that appear to have a very consistent pattern. Here, we place these findings in a broader context by comparing the MEPs, EMGs, and organization of the spinal motor neuron pools of flight muscles of Anna's hummingbird Calypte anna, zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata, and, for MEPs, several other species. The previously shown MEP pattern of the hummingbird pectoralis major is not shared with its closest taxonomic relative, the swift, and appears to be unique to hummingbirds. MEP arrangements in previously undocumented wing muscles show patterns that differ somewhat from other avian muscles. In the parallel-fibered strap muscles of the shoulder, MEP patterns appear to relate to muscle length, with the smallest muscles having fibers that span the entire muscle. MEP patterns in pennate distal wing muscles were the same regardless of size, with tightly clustered bands in the middle portion of the muscle, not evenly distributed bands over the muscle's entire length. Muscle activations were examined during slow forward flight in both species, during hovering in hummingbirds, and during slow ascents in zebra finches. The EMG bursts of a wing muscle, the pronator superficialis, were highly variable in peak number, size, and distribution across wingbeats for both species. In the pectoralis major, although the individual EMG bursts were much shorter in duration in hummingbirds relative to zebra finches, the variables describing the normalized amplitude and area of the activation bursts were otherwise indistinguishable between taxa during these flight modes. However, the degree of variation in the time intervals between EMG peaks was much lower in hummingbirds, which is a plausible explanation for the "patterned" EMG signals reported previously.

Dissolved and Colloidal Trace Elements in the Mississippi River Delta Outflow after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, M.; Swarzenski, P. W.; Shiller, A. M.

2010-12-01

The Mississippi River (MR) plays an important role as a major fluvial source of dissolved and particulate materials for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). This region is periodically disturbed by tropical weather systems including major hurricanes. Such storms have the potential to stir up the normally stratified water column of the Louisiana Shelf and thus can serve as a mechanism for the abrupt termination of seasonal bottom water hypoxia. Additionally, strong tropical systems can cause the resuspension of shelf bottom sediments which could result in the injection of trace elements into the water column. In the summer of 2005, two major hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, passed over the Louisiana Shelf within a month of each other. Three weeks after Rita, we participated in a survey of the waters of the Mississippi River delta outflow, examining the distributions of trace elements (including Ba, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Re, U, V, and Zn) in a comparison with previous results in this area. We indeed observed that there was limited stratification on the shelf and that bottom waters were no longer hypoxic. This resulted, for instance, in bottom water dissolved Mn being lower than is typically observed during hypoxia, but with concentrations still compatible with Mn-O2 trends previously reported. Interestingly, for no element were we able to identify an obvious effect of sediment resuspension on its distribution. In general, elemental distributions were compatible with previous observations in the Mississippi outflow system. Co and Re, which have not been reported for this system previously, showed behavior consistent with other systems: input for Co likely from desorption and conservative mixing for Re. For Cs, an element for which there is little information regarding its estuarine behavior, conservative mixing was also observed. Our filtration method, which allowed us to distinguish the dissolved (<0.02 µm) from colloidal (0.02 - 0.45 µm) phase, revealed significant colloidal fractions for Fe and Zn, only. For Fe, the colloidal phase was the dominant fraction and was rapidly removed at low salinity. Dissolved Fe, in contrast, persisted out to mid-salinities, being removed in a similar fashion to nitrate. This ability to distinguish the smaller Fe (likely dominantly organically complexed) from larger colloidal suspensates may be useful in better interpreting the bioavailablity of the Fe in estuarine systems.

A stitch in time: a cross-sectional survey looking at long lasting insecticide-treated bed net ownership, utilization and attrition in SNNPR, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Batisso, Esey; Habte, Tedila; Tesfaye, Gezahegn; Getachew, Dawit; Tekalegne, Agonafer; Kilian, Albert; Mpeka, Betty; Lynch, Caroline

2012-06-07

Since 2002/03, an estimated 4.7 million nets have been distributed in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) among an at risk population of approximately 10 million people. Evidence from the region suggests that large-scale net ownership rapidly increased over a relatively short period of time. However, little is known about how coverage is being maintained given that the last mass distribution was in 2006/2007. This study sought to determine the status of current net ownership, utilization and rate of long lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLIN) loss in the previous three years in the context of planning for future net distribution to try to achieve sustainable universal coverage. A total of 750 household respondents were interviewed across malarious, rural kebeles of SNNPR. Households were randomly selected following a two-stage cluster sampling design where kebeles were defined as clusters. Kebeles were chosen using proportional population sampling (PPS), and 25 households within 30 kebeles randomly chosen. Approximately 67.5% (95%CI: 64.1-70.8) of households currently owned at least one net. An estimated 31.0% (95%CI 27.9-34.4) of all nets owned in the previous three years had been discarded by owners, the majority of whom considered the nets too torn, old or dirty (79.9%: 95%CI 75.8-84.0). Households reported that one-third of nets (33.7%) were less than one year old when they were discarded. The majority (58.8%) of currently owned nets had 'good' structural integrity according to a proportionate Hole Index. Nearly two-thirds of households (60.6%) reported using their nets the previous night. The overriding reason for not using nets was that they were too torn (45.7%, 95% CI 39.1-50.7). Yet, few households are making repairs to their nets (3.7%, 95% CI: 2.4-5.1). Results suggest that the life span of nets may be shorter than previously thought, with little maintenance by their owners. With the global move towards malaria elimination it makes sense to aim for sustained high coverage of LLINs. However, in the current economic climate, it also makes sense to hark back to simple tools and messages on the importance of careful net maintenance, which could increase their lifespans.

Plasma Theory and Simulation Group Annual Progress Report for 1991

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-31

beam formation analitically : i) the resistance of the (low-density) to the final, high-density cylindrical wall can be approximated by the regime...model is developed that predicts the ion angular distribution function in a highly collisional sheath. In a previous study2, the normal ion velocity...gets a linear dispersion relation of the form W2 = k 2 (T + Ti/m. + m,), (40) which predicts ion acoustic waves. These waves have the highest frequency

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a patient with no known risk factors: a pathological study.

PubMed

Burt, A D; Scott, G; Shiach, C R; Isles, C G

1984-04-01

We present the pathological findings in a case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a patient with no known risk factor. Postmortem examination showed klebsiella lung abscess, generalised cytomegalovirus infection, cerebral toxoplasmosis, and a primary cerebral lymphoma. An additional feature was the presence of dilatation of the intrahepatic large bile ducts in association with an atypical distribution of cytomegalovirus. The relation between this case and previously reported cases of AIDS is discussed.

Toxic Hazards Research Unit Annual Technical Report: 1975

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-10-01

by different sampling rates 160 21 Particle size distribution curves 167 22 Effect of 03 or N02 concentrations on rat lung weight 177 23 Relationship...previously, consisted of female C57 black/6 mice obtained from Jackson Laboratories, male CDF (Fischer 344 derived) albino rats from Charles River...the exposure phase of the study but made at the conclusion of the 5 ppm and 0. 5 ppm experiments were: Blood urea nitrogen SGOT Chloride Prothrombin

Effects of Loading and Doping on Iron-Based CO2 Hydrogenation Catalysts

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-24

dopant had on the overall catalyst’s activity and production distribution. 24-08-2009 Memorandum Report Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6183 4555...approach in producing a greater yield of hydrocarbon (HC) products above methane. The use of traditional Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) cobalt ...previous work done by our group [14] it is apparent that direct hydrogenation of CO2 over a general Cobalt -based FTS catalyst (namely Co-Pt/Al2O3

Improving the developability profile of pyrrolidine progesterone receptor partial agonists

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kallander, Lara S.; Washburn, David G.; Hoang, Tram H.

2010-09-17

The previously reported pyrrolidine class of progesterone receptor partial agonists demonstrated excellent potency but suffered from serious liabilities including hERG blockade and high volume of distribution in the rat. The basic pyrrolidine amine was intentionally converted to a sulfonamide, carbamate, or amide to address these liabilities. The evaluation of the degree of partial agonism for these non-basic pyrrolidine derivatives and demonstration of their efficacy in an in vivo model of endometriosis is disclosed herein.

NMR studies of multiphase flows II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altobelli, S.A.; Caprihan, A.; Fukushima, E.

NMR techniques for measurements of spatial distribution of material phase, velocity and velocity fluctuation are being developed and refined. Versions of these techniques which provide time average liquid fraction and fluid phase velocity have been applied to several concentrated suspension systems which will not be discussed extensively here. Technical developments required to further extend the use of NMR to the multi-phase flow arena and to provide measurements of previously unobtainable parameters are the focus of this report.

Predominance of Uganda genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from Ugandan patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis.

PubMed

Wamala, Dan; Okee, Moses; Kigozi, Edgar; Couvin, David; Rastogi, Nalin; Joloba, Moses; Kallenius, Gunilla

2015-09-01

In Uganda, the emerging Uganda genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most common cause of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and accounts for up to 70% of isolates. Extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) is less studied in Uganda. Molecular characterization using deletion analysis and spoligotyping was performed on 121 M. tuberculosis isolates from lymph node fine needle biopsy aspirates of Ugandan patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis. The evolutionary relationships and worldwide distribution of the spoligotypes were analyzed. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the only cause of EPTB in this study. The T2 sublineage was the most predominant lineage and the Uganda genotype was the dominant genotype. There were 54 spoligotype patterns among the 121 study isolates. The dominant spoligotypes were shared international types (SIT) SIT420, SIT53, SIT 135, SIT 128 and SIT590 in descending order. All but SIT420 were previously reported in pulmonary TB in this setting. The phylogenetic analysis showed a long descendant branch of spoligotypes belonging to the T2-Uganda sublineage containing specifically SITs 135, 128 and 420. In most cases, the spoligotypes were similar to those causing PTB, but the Uganda genotype was found to be less common in EPTB than previously reported for PTB in Uganda. The phylogenetic analysis and the study of the worldwide distribution of clustered spoligotypes indicate an ongoing evolution of the Uganda genotype, with the country of Uganda at the center of this evolution.

Common themes and cell type specific variations of higher order chromatin arrangements in the mouse

PubMed Central

Mayer, Robert; Brero, Alessandro; von Hase, Johann; Schroeder, Timm; Cremer, Thomas; Dietzel, Steffen

2005-01-01

Background Similarities as well as differences in higher order chromatin arrangements of human cell types were previously reported. For an evolutionary comparison, we now studied the arrangements of chromosome territories and centromere regions in six mouse cell types (lymphocytes, embryonic stem cells, macrophages, fibroblasts, myoblasts and myotubes) with fluorescence in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Both species evolved pronounced differences in karyotypes after their last common ancestors lived about 87 million years ago and thus seem particularly suited to elucidate common and cell type specific themes of higher order chromatin arrangements in mammals. Results All mouse cell types showed non-random correlations of radial chromosome territory positions with gene density as well as with chromosome size. The distribution of chromosome territories and pericentromeric heterochromatin changed during differentiation, leading to distinct cell type specific distribution patterns. We exclude a strict dependence of these differences on nuclear shape. Positional differences in mouse cell nuclei were less pronounced compared to human cell nuclei in agreement with smaller differences in chromosome size and gene density. Notably, the position of chromosome territories relative to each other was very variable. Conclusion Chromosome territory arrangements according to chromosome size and gene density provide common, evolutionary conserved themes in both, human and mouse cell types. Our findings are incompatible with a previously reported model of parental genome separation. PMID:16336643

Morphology of the cemento-enamel junction in premolar teeth.

PubMed

Arambawatta, Kapila; Peiris, Roshan; Nanayakkara, Deepthi

2009-12-01

The present study attempted to describe the distribution of the mineralized tissues that compose the cemento-enamel junction, with respect to both the different types of permanent premolars of males and females and the various surfaces of individual teeth. The cervical region of ground sections of 67 premolars that had been extracted for orthodontic reasons were analyzed using transmitted light microscopy to identify which of the following tissue interrelationships was present at the cemento-enamel junction: cementum overlapping enamel; enamel overlapping cementum; edge-to-edge relationship between cementum and enamel; or the presence of gaps between the enamel and cementum with exposed dentin. An edge-to-edge interrelation between root cementum and enamel was predominant (55.1%). In approximately one-third of the sample, gaps between cementum and enamel with exposed dentin were observed. Cementum overlapping enamel was less prevalent than previously reported, and enamel overlapping cementum was seen in a very small proportion of the sample. In any one tooth, the distribution of mineralized tissues at the cemento-enamel junction was irregular and unpredictable. The frequency of gaps between enamel and cementum with exposure of dentin was higher than previously reported, which suggests that this region is fragile and strongly predisposed to pathological changes. Hence, this region should be protected and carefully managed during routine clinical procedures such as dental bleaching, orthodontic treatment, and placement of restorative materials.

Notes on the genus Conocephalus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Conocephalinae; Conocephalini) from India and description of two new species.

PubMed

Nagar, Rajendra; Swaminathan, R

2016-06-16

The present paper describes two new species of Conocephalus: Conocephalus decaspinosus sp. nov. and C. kwasiphaiensis sp. nov., as additions to the previously known species of the genus; among these, two species have been reported for the first time from India, viz., C. concolor peneri and C. vaginalis. The key morphological characters of the head, pronotum, cerci, spines on the fore tibiae, hind femora, stridulatory file and the ovipositor have been illustrated with suitable line drawings to distinguish the reported new species. The distribution map of the species in India has been provided with a key to the subgenera.

Parameter inference in small world network disease models with approximate Bayesian Computational methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, David M.; Allingham, David; Lee, Heung Wing Joseph; Small, Michael

2010-02-01

Small world network models have been effective in capturing the variable behaviour of reported case data of the SARS coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong during 2003. Simulations of these models have previously been realized using informed “guesses” of the proposed model parameters and tested for consistency with the reported data by surrogate analysis. In this paper we attempt to provide statistically rigorous parameter distributions using Approximate Bayesian Computation sampling methods. We find that such sampling schemes are a useful framework for fitting parameters of stochastic small world network models where simulation of the system is straightforward but expressing a likelihood is cumbersome.

Surface Water Records of California, 1961; Volume 1: Colorado River Basin, Southern Great Basin and Pacific Slope Basins excluding Central Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

1961-01-01

Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data will be released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basicdata reports will be limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided.

Thermal Smearing of the Magneto-Kohn Anomaly for Dirac materials and comparison with the Two-dimensional electron Liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahal, Dipendra; Balassis, Antonios; Gumbs, Godfrey; Glasser, M. L.; graphene projects Collaboration

We compute and compare the effects due to a uniform perpendicular magnetic field and the temperature on the static polarization functions for monolayer graphene (MLG) associated with the Dirac point with that for the two-dimensional electron liquid (2DEL). Previous results for the 2DEL are discussed and we point out a flaw in reported analytic derivation to exhibit the smearing of the Fermi surface for 2DEL. The relevance of our study to the Kohn anomaly in low-dimensional structures and the Friedel oscillations for the screening of the potential for a dilute distribution of impurities is reported.

Anti-infective activity of apolipoprotein domain derived peptides in vitro: identification of novel antimicrobial peptides related to apolipoprotein B with anti-HIV activity

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Previous reports have shown that peptides derived from the apolipoprotein E receptor binding region and the amphipathic α-helical domains of apolipoprotein AI have broad anti-infective activity and antiviral activity respectively. Lipoproteins and viruses share a similar cell biological niche, being of overlapping size and displaying similar interactions with mammalian cells and receptors, which may have led to other antiviral sequences arising within apolipoproteins, in addition to those previously reported. We therefore designed a series of peptides based around either apolipoprotein receptor binding regions, or amphipathic α-helical domains, and tested these for antiviral and antibacterial activity. Results Of the nineteen new peptides tested, seven showed some anti-infective activity, with two of these being derived from two apolipoproteins not previously used to derive anti-infective sequences. Apolipoprotein J (151-170) - based on a predicted amphipathic alpha-helical domain from apolipoprotein J - had measurable anti-HSV1 activity, as did apolipoprotein B (3359-3367) dp (apoBdp), the latter being derived from the LDL receptor binding domain B of apolipoprotein B. The more active peptide - apoBdp - showed similarity to the previously reported apoE derived anti-infective peptide, and further modification of the apoBdp sequence to align the charge distribution more closely to that of apoEdp or to introduce aromatic residues resulted in increased breadth and potency of activity. The most active peptide of this type showed similar potent anti-HIV activity, comparable to that we previously reported for the apoE derived peptide apoEdpL-W. Conclusions These data suggest that further antimicrobial peptides may be obtained using human apolipoprotein sequences, selecting regions with either amphipathic α-helical structure, or those linked to receptor-binding regions. The finding that an amphipathic α-helical region of apolipoprotein J has antiviral activity comparable with that for the previously reported apolipoprotein AI derived peptide 18A, suggests that full-length apolipoprotein J may also have such activity, as has been reported for full-length apolipoprotein AI. Although the strength of the anti-infective activity of the sequences identified was limited, this could be increased substantially by developing related mutant peptides. Indeed the apolipoprotein B-derived peptide mutants uncovered by the present study may have utility as HIV therapeutics or microbicides. PMID:20298574

Updating Known Distribution Models for Forecasting Climate Change Impact on Endangered Species

PubMed Central

Muñoz, Antonio-Román; Márquez, Ana Luz; Real, Raimundo

2013-01-01

To plan endangered species conservation and to design adequate management programmes, it is necessary to predict their distributional response to climate change, especially under the current situation of rapid change. However, these predictions are customarily done by relating de novo the distribution of the species with climatic conditions with no regard of previously available knowledge about the factors affecting the species distribution. We propose to take advantage of known species distribution models, but proceeding to update them with the variables yielded by climatic models before projecting them to the future. To exemplify our proposal, the availability of suitable habitat across Spain for the endangered Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata) was modelled by updating a pre-existing model based on current climate and topography to a combination of different general circulation models and Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. Our results suggested that the main threat for this endangered species would not be climate change, since all forecasting models show that its distribution will be maintained and increased in mainland Spain for all the XXI century. We remark on the importance of linking conservation biology with distribution modelling by updating existing models, frequently available for endangered species, considering all the known factors conditioning the species' distribution, instead of building new models that are based on climate change variables only. PMID:23840330

Updating known distribution models for forecasting climate change impact on endangered species.

PubMed

Muñoz, Antonio-Román; Márquez, Ana Luz; Real, Raimundo

2013-01-01

To plan endangered species conservation and to design adequate management programmes, it is necessary to predict their distributional response to climate change, especially under the current situation of rapid change. However, these predictions are customarily done by relating de novo the distribution of the species with climatic conditions with no regard of previously available knowledge about the factors affecting the species distribution. We propose to take advantage of known species distribution models, but proceeding to update them with the variables yielded by climatic models before projecting them to the future. To exemplify our proposal, the availability of suitable habitat across Spain for the endangered Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata) was modelled by updating a pre-existing model based on current climate and topography to a combination of different general circulation models and Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. Our results suggested that the main threat for this endangered species would not be climate change, since all forecasting models show that its distribution will be maintained and increased in mainland Spain for all the XXI century. We remark on the importance of linking conservation biology with distribution modelling by updating existing models, frequently available for endangered species, considering all the known factors conditioning the species' distribution, instead of building new models that are based on climate change variables only.

Toward broadband, dynamic structuring of a complex plasmonic field.

PubMed

Wei, Shibiao; Si, Guangyuan; Malek, Michael; Earl, Stuart K; Du, Luping; Kou, Shan Shan; Yuan, Xiaocong; Lin, Jiao

2018-06-01

The ability to tailor a coherent surface plasmon polariton (SPP) field is an important step toward many new opportunities for a broad range of nanophotonic applications. Previously, both scanning a converging SPP spot and designing SPP profiles using an ensemble of spots have been demonstrated. SPPs, however, are normally excited by intense, coherent light sources, that is, lasers. Hence, interference between adjacent spots is inevitable and will affect the overall SPP field distributions. We report a reconfigurable and wavelength-independent platform for generating a tailored two-dimensional (2D) SPP field distribution by considering the coherent field as a whole rather than as individual spots. With this new approach, the inherent constraints in a 2D coherent field distribution are revealed. Our design approach works not only for SPP waves but also for other 2D wave systems such as surface acoustic waves.

Large scale distribution of ultra high energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory with zenith angles up to 80°

DOE PAGES

Aab, Alexander

2015-03-30

In this study, we present the results of an analysis of the large angular scale distribution of the arrival directions of cosmic rays with energy above 4 EeV detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory including for the first time events with zenith angle between 60° and 80°. We perform two Rayleigh analyses, one in the right ascension and one in the azimuth angle distributions, that are sensitive to modulations in right ascension and declination, respectively. The largest departure from isotropy appears in themore » $$E\\gt 8$$ EeV energy bin, with an amplitude for the first harmonic in right ascension $$r_{1}^{\\alpha }=(4.4\\pm 1.0)\\times {{10}^{-2}}$$, that has a chance probability $$P(\\geqslant r_{1}^{\\alpha })=6.4\\times {{10}^{-5}}$$, reinforcing the hint previously reported with vertical events alone.« less

Viscerotropic and neurotropic disease following vaccination with the 17D yellow fever vaccine, ARILVAX.

PubMed

Kitchener, Scott

2004-06-02

Yellow fever vaccine associated viscerotropic (YFV-AVD) and neurotropic (YFV-AND) diseases have been recently identified in various countries. Previously post-vaccination multiple organ system failure was recognised as a rare serious adverse event of yellow fever vaccination and 21 cases of post-vaccinal (YFV) encephalitis had been recorded. Incidence data is not available. On investigation of vaccine surveillance reports from Europe following distribution of more than 3 million doses of ARILVAX trade mark, four cases each of YFV-AVD and YFV-AND were found (each 1.3 cases per million doses distributed) for the period 1991 to 2003. The incidence for each is higher after 1996 (2.5 cases per million doses distributed). The incidence of these adverse events appears to be very low with ARILVAX trade mark. Similar incidence data is required from other countries for comparison.

Distributed Drug Discovery, Part 3: Using D3 Methodology to Synthesize Analogs of an Anti-Melanoma Compound

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

For the successful implementation of Distributed Drug Discovery (D3) (outlined in the accompanying Perspective), students, in the course of their educational laboratories, must be able to reproducibly make new, high quality, molecules with potential for biological activity. This article reports the successful achievement of this goal. Using previously rehearsed alkylating agents, students in a second semester organic chemistry laboratory performed a solid-phase combinatorial chemistry experiment in which they made 38 new analogs of the most potent member of a class of antimelanoma compounds. All compounds were made in duplicate, purified by silica gel chromatography, and characterized by NMR and LC/MS. As a continuing part of the Distributed Drug Discovery program, a virtual D3 catalog based on this work was then enumerated and is made freely available to the global scientific community. PMID:19105723

New methods to constrain the radio transient rate: results from a survey of four fields with LOFAR.

PubMed

Carbone, D; van der Horst, A J; Wijers, R A M J; Swinbank, J D; Rowlinson, A; Broderick, J W; Cendes, Y N; Stewart, A J; Bell, M E; Breton, R P; Corbel, S; Eislöffel, J; Fender, R P; Grießmeier, J-M; Hessels, J W T; Jonker, P; Kramer, M; Law, C J; Miller-Jones, J C A; Pietka, M; Scheers, L H A; Stappers, B W; van Leeuwen, J; Wijnands, R; Wise, M; Zarka, P

2016-07-01

We report on the results of a search for radio transients between 115 and 190 MHz with the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR). Four fields have been monitored with cadences between 15 min and several months. A total of 151 images were obtained, giving a total survey area of 2275 deg 2 . We analysed our data using standard LOFAR tools and searched for radio transients using the LOFAR Transients Pipeline. No credible radio transient candidate has been detected; however, we are able to set upper limits on the surface density of radio transient sources at low radio frequencies. We also show that low-frequency radio surveys are more sensitive to steep-spectrum coherent transient sources than GHz radio surveys. We used two new statistical methods to determine the upper limits on the transient surface density. One is free of assumptions on the flux distribution of the sources, while the other assumes a power-law distribution in flux and sets more stringent constraints on the transient surface density. Both of these methods provide better constraints than the approach used in previous works. The best value for the upper limit we can set for the transient surface density, using the method assuming a power-law flux distribution, is 1.3 × 10 -3  deg -2 for transients brighter than 0.3 Jy with a time-scale of 15 min, at a frequency of 150 MHz. We also calculated for the first time upper limits for the transient surface density for transients of different time-scales. We find that the results can differ by orders of magnitude from previously reported, simplified estimates.

National Emphysema Treatment Trial redux: accentuating the positive.

PubMed

Sanchez, Pablo Gerardo; Kucharczuk, John Charles; Su, Stacey; Kaiser, Larry Robert; Cooper, Joel David

2010-09-01

Under the Freedom of Information Act, we obtained the follow-up data of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) to determine the long-term outcome for "a heterogeneous distribution of emphysema with upper lobe predominance," postulated by the NETT hypothesis to be optimal candidates for lung volume reduction surgery. Using the NETT database, we identified patients with heterogeneous distribution of emphysema with upper lobe predominance and analyzed for the first time follow-up data for those receiving lung volume reduction surgery and those receiving medical management. Furthermore, we compared the results of the NETT reduction surgery group with a previously reported consecutive case series of 250 patients undergoing bilateral lung volume reduction surgery using similar selection criteria. Of the 1218 patients enrolled, 511 (42%) conformed to the NETT hypothesis selection criteria and received the randomly assigned surgical or medical treatment (surgical = 261; medical = 250). Lung volume reduction surgery resulted in a 5-year survival benefit (70% vs 60%; P = .02). Results at 3 years compared with baseline data favored surgical reduction in terms of residual volume reduction (25% vs 2%; P < .001), University of California San Diego dyspnea score (16 vs 0 points; P < .001), and improved St George Respiratory Questionnaire quality of life score (12 points vs 0 points; P < .001). For the 513 patients with a homogeneous pattern of emphysema randomized to surgical or medical treatment, lung volume reduction surgery produced no survival advantage and very limited functional benefit. Patients most likely to benefit from lung volume reduction surgery have heterogeneously distributed emphysema involving the upper lung zones predominantly. Such patients in the NETT trial had results nearly identical to those previously reported in a nonrandomized series of similar patients undergoing lung volume reduction surgery. 2010 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

An improved protocol for optical projection tomography imaging reveals lobular heterogeneities in pancreatic islet and β-cell mass distribution

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Optical projection tomography (OPT) imaging is a powerful tool for three-dimensional imaging of gene and protein distribution patterns in biomedical specimens. We have previously demonstrated the possibility, by this technique, to extract information of the spatial and quantitative distribution of the islets of Langerhans in the intact mouse pancreas. In order to further increase the sensitivity of OPT imaging for this type of assessment, we have developed a protocol implementing a computational statistical approach: contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE). We demonstrate that this protocol significantly increases the sensitivity of OPT imaging for islet detection, helps preserve islet morphology and diminish subjectivity in thresholding for tomographic reconstruction. When applied to studies of the pancreas from healthy C57BL/6 mice, our data reveal that, at least in this strain, the pancreas harbors substantially more islets than has previously been reported. Further, we provide evidence that the gastric, duodenal and splenic lobes of the pancreas display dramatic differences in total and relative islet and β-cell mass distribution. This includes a 75% higher islet density in the gastric lobe as compared to the splenic lobe and a higher relative volume of insulin producing cells in the duodenal lobe as compared to the other lobes. Altogether, our data show that CLAHE substantially improves OPT based assessments of the islets of Langerhans and that lobular origin must be taken into careful consideration in quantitative and spatial assessments of the pancreas. PMID:21633198

[Relevant factors in medico-legal prognosis of whiplash injury].

PubMed

Pujol, Amadeo; Puig, Luisa; Mansilla, Joaquina; Idiaquez, Itziar

2003-07-12

Whiplash injury (WI) is commonly evaluated in medico-legal practice. With the aim of knowing the determining factors of WI's medico-legal prognosis, a prospective and observational study was carried out. One hundred and twenty consecutive patients who were clinically observed and evaluated in the Medico-Legal Clinic of Barcelona were studied. Socio-demographic, clinical, radiographic and evolutive factors were analyzed. We included 120 patients with a mean age of 35.6 (14) years (range, 4-74), with a homogeneous male/female distribution. An earlier cervical pathology was detected in 10% of patients; none of them had previous psychiatric pathology. 95% corresponded to road-traffic accident cases and there were 5 aggression cases. Over 50% of cases involved a rear-end collision. All patients had neck pain, almost 25% had headache and 13% had paresthesia. According to the Whiplash Association Disorders clinical classification, distribution in grades (G) was: G I 51%, G II 32% and G III 17%. Patients reported recovery within a mean time of 71.6 (46) days (range, 4-244), with 51,2 (45) no working days (range, 0-180 days). The 52% of the patients rest with complains. According to the recovery time, the following medico-legal prognostic factors were identified: age (p < 0.001), being female (p = 0.001), clinical grade (p < 0.001) and abnormal cervical MRI exploration (p < 0.001). Patients with previous cervical pathology reported more complaints (p = 0.001). In our study, WI affected young people of both sex mainly during rear-end collision. Worst medico-legal prognostic factors were age, being females, severity of initial clinical symptoms, previous cervical pathology and abnormal cervical MRI/CT.

Prediction of new ground-state crystal structure of T a2O5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong; Kawazoe, Yoshiyuki

2018-03-01

Tantalum pentoxide (T a2O5 ) is a wide-gap semiconductor which has important technological applications. Despite the enormous efforts from both experimental and theoretical studies, the ground-state crystal structure of T a2O5 is not yet uniquely determined. Based on first-principles calculations in combination with evolutionary algorithm, we identify a triclinic phase of T a2O5 , which is energetically much more stable than any phases or structural models reported previously. Characterization of the static and dynamical properties of the phase reveals the common features shared with previous metastable phases of T a2O5 . In particular, we show that the d spacing of ˜3.8 Å found in the x-ray diffraction patterns of many previous experimental works is actually the radius of the second Ta-Ta coordination shell as defined by radial distribution functions.

Assessing patterns of human-wildlife conflicts and compensation around a Central Indian protected area.

PubMed

Karanth, Krithi K; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M; DeFries, Ruth; Ballal, Natasha

2012-01-01

Mitigating crop and livestock loss to wildlife and improving compensation distribution are important for conservation efforts in landscapes where people and wildlife co-occur outside protected areas. The lack of rigorously collected spatial data poses a challenge to management efforts to minimize loss and mitigate conflicts. We surveyed 735 households from 347 villages in a 5154 km(2) area surrounding Kanha Tiger Reserve in India. We modeled self-reported household crop and livestock loss as a function of agricultural, demographic and environmental factors, and mitigation measures. We also modeled self-reported compensation received by households as a function of demographic factors, conflict type, reporting to authorities, and wildlife species involved. Seventy-three percent of households reported crop loss and 33% livestock loss in the previous year, but less than 8% reported human injury or death. Crop loss was associated with greater number of cropping months per year and proximity to the park. Livestock loss was associated with grazing animals inside the park and proximity to the park. Among mitigation measures only use of protective physical structures were associated with reduced livestock loss. Compensation distribution was more likely for tiger related incidents, and households reporting loss and located in the buffer. Average estimated probability of crop loss was 0.93 and livestock loss was 0.60 for surveyed households. Estimated crop and livestock loss and compensation distribution were higher for households located inside the buffer. Our approach modeled conflict data to aid managers in identifying potential conflict hotspots, influential factors, and spatially maps risk probability of crop and livestock loss. This approach could help focus allocation of conservation efforts and funds directed at conflict prevention and mitigation where high densities of people and wildlife co-occur.

Assessing Patterns of Human-Wildlife Conflicts and Compensation around a Central Indian Protected Area

PubMed Central

Karanth, Krithi K.; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.; DeFries, Ruth; Ballal, Natasha

2012-01-01

Mitigating crop and livestock loss to wildlife and improving compensation distribution are important for conservation efforts in landscapes where people and wildlife co-occur outside protected areas. The lack of rigorously collected spatial data poses a challenge to management efforts to minimize loss and mitigate conflicts. We surveyed 735 households from 347 villages in a 5154 km2 area surrounding Kanha Tiger Reserve in India. We modeled self-reported household crop and livestock loss as a function of agricultural, demographic and environmental factors, and mitigation measures. We also modeled self-reported compensation received by households as a function of demographic factors, conflict type, reporting to authorities, and wildlife species involved. Seventy-three percent of households reported crop loss and 33% livestock loss in the previous year, but less than 8% reported human injury or death. Crop loss was associated with greater number of cropping months per year and proximity to the park. Livestock loss was associated with grazing animals inside the park and proximity to the park. Among mitigation measures only use of protective physical structures were associated with reduced livestock loss. Compensation distribution was more likely for tiger related incidents, and households reporting loss and located in the buffer. Average estimated probability of crop loss was 0.93 and livestock loss was 0.60 for surveyed households. Estimated crop and livestock loss and compensation distribution were higher for households located inside the buffer. Our approach modeled conflict data to aid managers in identifying potential conflict hotspots, influential factors, and spatially maps risk probability of crop and livestock loss. This approach could help focus allocation of conservation efforts and funds directed at conflict prevention and mitigation where high densities of people and wildlife co-occur. PMID:23227173

Treating leishmaniasis in Amazonia: A review of ethnomedicinal concepts and pharmaco-chemical analysis of traditional treatments to inspire modern phytotherapies.

PubMed

Odonne, Guillaume; Houël, Emeline; Bourdy, Geneviève; Stien, Didier

2017-03-06

Cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases that occur in all intertropical regions of the world. Amazonian populations have developed an abundant knowledge of the disease and its remedies. Therefore, we undertook to review traditional antileishmanial plants in Amazonia and have developed new tools to analyze this somewhat dispersed information. A literature review of traditional remedies for cutaneous/mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon was conducted and the data obtained was used to calculate distribution indexes designed to highlight the most relevant uses in Amazonia. The cultural distribution index represents the distribution rate of a given taxon among different cultural groups and was calculated as the ratio of the number of groups using the taxon to the total number of groups cited. The geographical distribution index allowed us to quantify spatial distribution of a taxon's uses in Amazonia and was calculated geometrically by measuring the average distance between the points where uses have been reported and the barycenter of those points. The general distribution index was defined as an arithmetic combination of the previous two and provides information on both cultural and spatial criteria. 475 use reports, concerning 291 botanical species belonging to 83 families have been gathered depicted from 29 sources. Uses concern 34 cultural groups. While the use of some taxa appears to be Pan-Amazonian, some others are clearly restricted to small geographical regions. Particular attention has been paid to the recipes and beliefs surrounding treatments. Topical application of the remedies dominated the other means of administration and this deserves particular attention as the main treatments against Neotropical leishmaniasis are painful systemic injections. The data set was analyzed using the previously defined distribution indexes and the most relevant taxa were further discussed from a phytochemical and pharmacological point of view. The Amazonian biodiversity and cultural heritage host a fantastic amount of data whose systematic investigation should allow a better large-scale understanding of the dynamics of traditional therapies and the consequent discovery of therapeutic solutions for neglected diseases. Distribution indices are indeed powerful tools for emphasizing the most relevant treatments against a given disease and should be very useful in the meta-analysis of other regional pharmacopeia. This focus on renowned remedies that have not yet benefitted from extended laboratory studies, could stimulate future research on new treatments of natural origin for leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automation and uncertainty analysis of a method for in-vivo range verification in particle therapy.

PubMed

Frey, K; Unholtz, D; Bauer, J; Debus, J; Min, C H; Bortfeld, T; Paganetti, H; Parodi, K

2014-10-07

We introduce the automation of the range difference calculation deduced from particle-irradiation induced β(+)-activity distributions with the so-called most-likely-shift approach, and evaluate its reliability via the monitoring of algorithm- and patient-specific uncertainty factors. The calculation of the range deviation is based on the minimization of the absolute profile differences in the distal part of two activity depth profiles shifted against each other. Depending on the workflow of positron emission tomography (PET)-based range verification, the two profiles under evaluation can correspond to measured and simulated distributions, or only measured data from different treatment sessions. In comparison to previous work, the proposed approach includes an automated identification of the distal region of interest for each pair of PET depth profiles and under consideration of the planned dose distribution, resulting in the optimal shift distance. Moreover, it introduces an estimate of uncertainty associated to the identified shift, which is then used as weighting factor to 'red flag' problematic large range differences. Furthermore, additional patient-specific uncertainty factors are calculated using available computed tomography (CT) data to support the range analysis. The performance of the new method for in-vivo treatment verification in the clinical routine is investigated with in-room PET images for proton therapy as well as with offline PET images for proton and carbon ion therapy. The comparison between measured PET activity distributions and predictions obtained by Monte Carlo simulations or measurements from previous treatment fractions is performed. For this purpose, a total of 15 patient datasets were analyzed, which were acquired at Massachusetts General Hospital and Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center with in-room PET and offline PET/CT scanners, respectively. Calculated range differences between the compared activity distributions are reported in a 2D map in beam-eye-view. In comparison to previously proposed approaches, the new most-likely-shift method shows more robust results for assessing in-vivo the range from strongly varying PET distributions caused by differing patient geometry, ion beam species, beam delivery techniques, PET imaging concepts and counting statistics. The additional visualization of the uncertainties and the dedicated weighting strategy contribute to the understanding of the reliability of observed range differences and the complexity in the prediction of activity distributions. The proposed method promises to offer a feasible technique for clinical routine of PET-based range verification.

Automation and uncertainty analysis of a method for in-vivo range verification in particle therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, K.; Unholtz, D.; Bauer, J.; Debus, J.; Min, C. H.; Bortfeld, T.; Paganetti, H.; Parodi, K.

2014-10-01

We introduce the automation of the range difference calculation deduced from particle-irradiation induced β+-activity distributions with the so-called most-likely-shift approach, and evaluate its reliability via the monitoring of algorithm- and patient-specific uncertainty factors. The calculation of the range deviation is based on the minimization of the absolute profile differences in the distal part of two activity depth profiles shifted against each other. Depending on the workflow of positron emission tomography (PET)-based range verification, the two profiles under evaluation can correspond to measured and simulated distributions, or only measured data from different treatment sessions. In comparison to previous work, the proposed approach includes an automated identification of the distal region of interest for each pair of PET depth profiles and under consideration of the planned dose distribution, resulting in the optimal shift distance. Moreover, it introduces an estimate of uncertainty associated to the identified shift, which is then used as weighting factor to ‘red flag’ problematic large range differences. Furthermore, additional patient-specific uncertainty factors are calculated using available computed tomography (CT) data to support the range analysis. The performance of the new method for in-vivo treatment verification in the clinical routine is investigated with in-room PET images for proton therapy as well as with offline PET images for proton and carbon ion therapy. The comparison between measured PET activity distributions and predictions obtained by Monte Carlo simulations or measurements from previous treatment fractions is performed. For this purpose, a total of 15 patient datasets were analyzed, which were acquired at Massachusetts General Hospital and Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center with in-room PET and offline PET/CT scanners, respectively. Calculated range differences between the compared activity distributions are reported in a 2D map in beam-eye-view. In comparison to previously proposed approaches, the new most-likely-shift method shows more robust results for assessing in-vivo the range from strongly varying PET distributions caused by differing patient geometry, ion beam species, beam delivery techniques, PET imaging concepts and counting statistics. The additional visualization of the uncertainties and the dedicated weighting strategy contribute to the understanding of the reliability of observed range differences and the complexity in the prediction of activity distributions. The proposed method promises to offer a feasible technique for clinical routine of PET-based range verification.

Shipborne measurements of aerosol number size distribution and hygroscopicity over the North Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royalty, T. M.; Phillips, B.; Dawson, K. W.; Reed, R. E.; Meskhidze, N.

2016-12-01

We report aerosol number size distribution and hygroscopicity data collected over the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaii Ocean Timeseries (HOT) Station ALOHA (centered near 22°N, 158°W). From June 25 to July 3, 2016 our hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA)/scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) system was deployed onboard of NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai that participated in mooring operations associated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution WHOTS project. The ambient aerosol data was collected during the ship's planned operations. The inlet was located at the bow of the ship and the air samples were drawn (using 3/8 inch stainless steel tubing) inside a dry, air-conditioned lab. The region north of Oahu was very clean, with total particle number approximately 200 cm-3, occasionally dropping below 100 cm-3. We compare our particle number size distribution and hygroscopicity data with previously reported estimates. Our measurements contribute to process-level understanding of the role of sea spray aerosol in marine boundary layer cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) budget and provide crucial information to the community interested in studying and projecting climate change using Earth System Models.

Transposon diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Le, Quang Hien; Wright, Stephen; Yu, Zhihui; Bureau, Thomas

2000-01-01

Recent availability of extensive genome sequence information offers new opportunities to analyze genome organization, including transposon diversity and accumulation, at a level of resolution that was previously unattainable. In this report, we used sequence similarity search and analysis protocols to perform a fine-scale analysis of a large sample (≈17.2 Mb) of the Arabidopsis thaliana (Columbia) genome for transposons. Consistent with previous studies, we report that the A. thaliana genome harbors diverse representatives of most known superfamilies of transposons. However, our survey reveals a higher density of transposons of which over one-fourth could be classified into a single novel transposon family designated as Basho, which appears unrelated to any previously known superfamily. We have also identified putative transposase-coding ORFs for miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs), providing clues into the mechanism of mobility and origins of the most abundant transposons associated with plant genes. In addition, we provide evidence that most mined transposons have a clear distribution preference for A + T-rich sequences and show that structural variation for many mined transposons is partly due to interelement recombination. Taken together, these findings further underscore the complexity of transposons within the compact genome of A. thaliana. PMID:10861007

Comparative Cytogenetics between Two Important Songbird, Models: The Zebra Finch and the Canary

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Michelly da Silva; Kretschmer, Rafael; Frankl-Vilches, Carolina; Bakker, Antje; Gahr, Manfred; O´Brien, Patricia C. M.; Ferguson-Smith, Malcolm A.

2017-01-01

Songbird species (order Passeriformes, suborder Oscines) are important models in various experimental fields spanning behavioural genomics to neurobiology. Although the genomes of some songbird species were sequenced recently, the chromosomal organization of these species is mostly unknown. Here we focused on the two most studied songbird species in neuroscience, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and the canary (Serinus canaria). In order to clarify these issues and also to integrate chromosome data with their assembled genomes, we used classical and molecular cytogenetics in both zebra finch and canary to define their chromosomal homology, localization of heterochromatic blocks and distribution of rDNA clusters. We confirmed the same diploid number (2n = 80) in both species, as previously reported. FISH experiments confirmed the occurrence of multiple paracentric and pericentric inversions previously found in other species of Passeriformes, providing a cytogenetic signature for this order, and corroborating data from in silico analyses. Additionally, compared to other Passeriformes, we detected differences in the zebra finch karyotype concerning the morphology of some chromosomes, in the distribution of 5S rDNA clusters, and an inversion in chromosome 1. PMID:28129381

Automated detection of solar eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurlburt, N.

2015-12-01

Observation of the solar atmosphere reveals a wide range of motions, from small scale jets and spicules to global-scale coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Identifying and characterizing these motions are essential to advancing our understanding of the drivers of space weather. Both automated and visual identifications are currently used in identifying Coronal Mass Ejections. To date, eruptions near the solar surface, which may be precursors to CMEs, have been identified primarily by visual inspection. Here we report on Eruption Patrol (EP): a software module that is designed to automatically identify eruptions from data collected by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/AIA). We describe the method underlying the module and compare its results to previous identifications found in the Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase. EP identifies eruptions events that are consistent with those found by human annotations, but in a significantly more consistent and quantitative manner. Eruptions are found to be distributed within 15 Mm of the solar surface. They possess peak speeds ranging from 4 to 100 km/s and display a power-law probability distribution over that range. These characteristics are consistent with previous observations of prominences.

PCB congener analysis with Hall electrolytic conductivity detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edstrom, R.D.

1989-01-01

This work reports the development of an analytical methodology for the analysis of PCB congeners based on integrating relative retention data provided by other researchers. The retention data were transposed into a multiple retention marker system which provided good precision in the calculation of relative retention indices for PCB congener analysis. Analytical run times for the developed methodology were approximately one hour using a commercially available GC capillary column. A Tracor Model 700A Hall Electrolytic Conductivity Detector (HECD) was employed in the GC detection of Aroclor standards and environmental samples. Responses by the HECD provided good sensitivity and were reasonablymore » predictable. Ten response factors were calculated based on the molar chlorine content of each homolog group. Homolog distributions were determined for Aroclors 1016, 1221, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260, 1262 along with binary and ternary mixtures of the same. These distributions were compared with distributions reported by other researchers using electron capture detection as well as chemical ionization mass spectrometric methodologies. Homolog distributions acquired by the HECD methodology showed good correlation with the previously mentioned methodologies. The developed analytical methodology was used in the analysis of bluefish (Pomatomas saltatrix) and weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) collected from the York River, lower James River and lower Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Total PCB concentrations were calculated and homolog distributions were constructed from the acquired data. Increases in total PCB concentrations were found in the analyzed fish samples during the fall of 1985 collected from the lower James River and lower Chesapeake Bay.« less

Evidence from d+Au measurements for final-state suppression of high-p(T) hadrons in Au+Au collisions at RHIC.

PubMed

Adams, J; Adler, C; Aggarwal, M M; Ahammed, Z; Amonett, J; Anderson, B D; Anderson, M; Arkhipkin, D; Averichev, G S; Badyal, S K; Balewski, J; Barannikova, O; Barnby, L S; Baudot, J; Bekele, S; Belaga, V V; Bellwied, R; Berger, J; Bezverkhny, B I; Bhardwaj, S; Bhaskar, P; Bhati, A K; Bichsel, H; Billmeier, A; Bland, L C; Blyth, C O; Bonner, B E; Botje, M; Boucham, A; Brandin, A; Bravar, A; Cadman, R V; Cai, X Z; Caines, H; Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, M; Carroll, J; Castillo, J; Castro, M; Cebra, D; Chaloupka, P; Chattopadhyay, S; Chen, H F; Chen, Y; Chernenko, S P; Cherney, M; Chikanian, A; Choi, B; Christie, W; Coffin, J P; Cormier, T M; Cramer, J G; Crawford, H J; Das, D; Das, S; Derevschikov, A A; Didenko, L; Dietel, T; Dong, X; Draper, J E; Du, F; Dubey, A K; Dunin, V B; Dunlop, J C; Dutta Majumdar, M R; Eckardt, V; Efimov, L G; Emelianov, V; Engelage, J; Eppley, G; Erazmus, B; Fachini, P; Faine, V; Faivre, J; Fatemi, R; Filimonov, K; Filip, P; Finch, E; Fisyak, Y; Flierl, D; Foley, K J; Fu, J; Gagliardi, C A; Ganti, M S; Gagunashvili, N; Gans, J; Gaudichet, L; Germain, M; Geurts, F; Ghazikhanian, V; Ghosh, P; Gonzalez, J E; Grachov, O; Grigoriev, V; Gronstal, S; Grosnick, D; Guedon, M; Guertin, S M; Gupta, A; Gushin, E; Gutierrez, T D; Hallman, T J; Hardtke, D; Harris, J W; Heinz, M; Henry, T W; Heppelmann, S; Herston, T; Hippolyte, B; Hirsch, A; Hjort, E; Hoffmann, G W; Horsley, M; Huang, H Z; Huang, S L; Humanic, T J; Igo, G; Ishihara, A; Jacobs, P; Jacobs, W W; Janik, M; Johnson, I; Jones, P G; Judd, E G; Kabana, S; Kaneta, M; Kaplan, M; Keane, D; Kiryluk, J; Kisiel, A; Klay, J; Klein, S R; Klyachko, A; Koetke, D D; Kollegger, T; Konstantinov, A S; Kopytine, M; Kotchenda, L; Kovalenko, A D; Kramer, M; Kravtsov, P; Krueger, K; Kuhn, C; Kulikov, A I; Kumar, A; Kunde, G J; Kunz, C L; Kutuev, R Kh; Kuznetsov, A A; Lamont, M A C; Landgraf, J M; Lange, S; Lansdell, C P; Lasiuk, B; Laue, F; Lauret, J; Lebedev, A; Lednický, R; Leontiev, V M; LeVine, M J; Li, C; Li, Q; Lindenbaum, S J; Lisa, M A; Liu, F; Liu, L; Liu, Z; Liu, Q J; Ljubicic, T; Llope, W J; Long, H; Longacre, R S; Lopez-Noriega, M; Love, W A; Ludlam, T; Lynn, D; Ma, J; Ma, Y G; Magestro, D; Mahajan, S; Mangotra, L K; Mahapatra, D P; Majka, R; Manweiler, R; Margetis, S; Markert, C; Martin, L; Marx, J; Matis, H S; Matulenko, Yu A; McShane, T S; Meissner, F; Melnick, Yu; Meschanin, A; Messer, M; Miller, M L; Milosevich, Z; Minaev, N G; Mironov, C; Mishra, D; Mitchell, J; Mohanty, B; Molnar, L; Moore, C F; Mora-Corral, M J; Morozov, V; de Moura, M M; Munhoz, M G; Nandi, B K; Nayak, S K; Nayak, T K; Nelson, J M; Nevski, P; Nikitin, V A; Nogach, L V; Norman, B; Nurushev, S B; Odyniec, G; Ogawa, A; Okorokov, V; Oldenburg, M; Olson, D; Paic, G; Pandey, S U; Pal, S K; Panebratsev, Y; Panitkin, S Y; Pavlinov, A I; Pawlak, T; Perevoztchikov, V; Peryt, W; Petrov, V A; Phatak, S C; Picha, R; Planinic, M; Pluta, J; Porile, N; Porter, J; Poskanzer, A M; Potekhin, M; Potrebenikova, E; Potukuchi, B V K S; Prindle, D; Pruneau, C; Putschke, J; Rai, G; Rakness, G; Raniwala, R; Raniwala, S; Ravel, O; Ray, R L; Razin, S V; Reichhold, D; Reid, J G; Renault, G; Retiere, F; Ridiger, A; Ritter, H G; Roberts, J B; Rogachevski, O V; Romero, J L; Rose, A; Roy, C; Ruan, L J; Rykov, V; Sahoo, R; Sakrejda, I; Salur, S; Sandweiss, J; Savin, I; Schambach, J; Scharenberg, R P; Schmitz, N; Schroeder, L S; Schweda, K; Seger, J; Seliverstov, D; Seyboth, P; Shahaliev, E; Shao, M; Sharma, M; Shestermanov, K E; Shimanskii, S S; Singaraju, R N; Simon, F; Skoro, G; Smirnov, N; Snellings, R; Sood, G; Sorensen, P; Sowinski, J; Spinka, H M; Srivastava, B; Stanislaus, S; Stock, R; Stolpovsky, A; Strikhanov, M; Stringfellow, B; Struck, C; Suaide, A A P; Sugarbaker, E; Suire, C; Sumbera, M; Surrow, B; Symons, T J M; Szanto de Toledo, A; Szarwas, P; Tai, A; Takahashi, J; Tang, A H; Thein, D; Thomas, J H; Tikhomirov, V; Tokarev, M; Tonjes, M B; Trainor, T A; Trentalange, S; Tribble, R E; Trivedi, M D; Trofimov, V; Tsai, O; Ullrich, T; Underwood, D G; Van Buren, G; VanderMolen, A M; Vasiliev, A N; Vasiliev, M; Vigdor, S E; Viyogi, Y P; Voloshin, S A; Waggoner, W; Wang, F; Wang, G; Wang, X L; Wang, Z M; Ward, H; Watson, J W; Wells, R; Westfall, G D; Whitten, C; Wieman, H; Willson, R; Wissink, S W; Witt, R; Wood, J; Wu, J; Xu, N; Xu, Z; Xu, Z Z; Yakutin, A E; Yamamoto, E; Yang, J; Yepes, P; Yurevich, V I; Zanevski, Y V; Zborovský, I; Zhang, H; Zhang, H Y; Zhang, W M; Zhang, Z P; Zołnierczuk, P A; Zoulkarneev, R; Zoulkarneeva, J; Zubarev, A N

2003-08-15

We report measurements of single-particle inclusive spectra and two-particle azimuthal distributions of charged hadrons at high transverse momentum (high p(T)) in minimum bias and central d+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The inclusive yield is enhanced in d+Au collisions relative to binary-scaled p+p collisions, while the two-particle azimuthal distributions are very similar to those observed in p+p collisions. These results demonstrate that the strong suppression of the inclusive yield and back-to-back correlations at high p(T) previously observed in central Au+Au collisions are due to final-state interactions with the dense medium generated in such collisions.

Electron Energization and Structure of the Diffusion Region During Asymmetric Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Li-Jen; Hesse, Michael; Wang, Shan; Bessho, Naoki; Daughton, William

2016-01-01

Results from particle-in-cell simulations of reconnection with asymmetric upstream conditions are reported to elucidate electron energization and structure of the electron diffusion region (EDR). Acceleration of unmagnetized electrons results in discrete structures in the distribution functions and supports the intense current and perpendicular heating in the EDR. The accelerated electrons are cyclotron turned by the reconnected magnetic field to produce the outflow jets, and as such, the acceleration by the reconnection electric field is limited, leading to resistivity without particle-particle or particle-wave collisions. A map of electron distributions is constructed, and its spatial evolution is compared with quantities previously proposed to be EDR identifiers to enable effective identifications of the EDR in terrestrial magnetopause reconnection.

Study of mass and momentum transfer in diesel sprays based on X-ray mass distribution measurements and on a theoretical derivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desantes, J. M.; Salvador, F. J.; López, J. J.; de La Morena, J.

2011-02-01

In this paper, a research aimed at quantifying mass and momentum transfer in the near-nozzle field of diesel sprays injected into stagnant ambient air is reported. The study combines X-ray measurements for two different nozzles and axial positions, which provide mass distributions in the spray, with a theoretical model based on momentum flux conservation, which was previously validated. This investigation has allowed the validation of Gaussian profiles for local fuel concentration and velocity near the nozzle exit, as well as the determination of Schmidt number at realistic diesel spray conditions. This information could be very useful for those who are interested in spray modeling, especially at high-pressure injection conditions.

Canine infection with Dirofilaria immitis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma spp., and Ehrlichia spp. in the United States, 2010–2012

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The geographic distribution of canine infection with vector-borne disease agents in the United States appears to be expanding. Methods To provide an updated assessment of geographic trends in canine infection with Dirofilaria immitis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp., we evaluated results from an average of 3,588,477 dogs tested annually by veterinarians throughout the United States from 2010 – 2012. Results As in an earlier summary report, the percent positive test results varied by agent and region, with antigen of D. immitis and antibody to Ehrlichia spp. most commonly identified in the Southeast (2.9% and 3.2%, respectively) and antibody to both B. burgdorferi and Anaplasma spp. most commonly identified in the Northeast (13.3% and 7.1%, respectively) and upper Midwest (4.4% and 3.9%, respectively). Percent positive test results for D. immitis antigen were lower in every region considered, including in the Southeast, than previously reported. Percent positive test results for antibodies to B. burgdorferi and Ehrlichia spp. were higher nationally than previously reported, and, for antibodies to Anaplasma spp., were higher in the Northeast but lower in the Midwest and West, than in the initial report. Annual reports of human cases of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis were associated with percent positive canine test results by state for each respective tick-borne disease agent (R2 = 0.701, 0.457, and 0.314, respectively). Within endemic areas, percent positive test results for all three tick-borne agents demonstrated evidence of geographic expansion. Conclusions Continued national monitoring of canine test results for vector-borne zoonotic agents is an important tool for accurately mapping the geographic distribution of these agents, and greatly aids our understanding of the veterinary and public health threats they pose. PMID:24886589

Enticing the New Lad

PubMed Central

Cortese, Daniel K.; Ling, Pamela M.

2010-01-01

We demonstrate how an industry promoted and defined masculinity as a product of consumption. We analyze previously-secret tobacco industry documents and the content of two tobacco industry–produced magazines, Unlimited (from Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro) and Real Edge (from Brown & Williamson, makers of Lucky Strike), which were distributed to millions of young adult men from the late 1990s and early 2000s to promote their tobacco brands. We find that Unlimited and Real Edge exhibited similar themes previously reported to typify “new lad” magazines, but with risky behaviors in the forefront. We build upon the existing masculinity literature by providing insight into how corporations study and interpret cultural constructions of masculinity, and then use masculinity as both a vehicle and a product of consumption. PMID:21687813

Spring and winter records of the eastern pipistrelle (Perimyotis subflavus) in southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Valdez, Ernest W.; Geluso, Keith; Foote, Jennifer; Allison-Kosior, Gosia; Roemer, David M.

2009-01-01

Eastern pipistrelles (Perimyotis subflavus) were first documented from South Dakota, western Texas, and New Mexico during recent years, suggesting that the distribution of this species is expanding westward across central parts of North America. In New Mexico, only 2 records of P. subflavus previously were known—one from summer and one from autumn. Here we report on 3 new records of P. subflavus from southeastern New Mexico, including the first 2 records from winter and the first record from spring. One individual in winter was observed hibernating in a cave in Chaves County. Our records and previous ones from autumn and summer suggest that this species is resident throughout the year in New Mexico.

Combustion chemistry of solid propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baer, A. D.; Ryan, N. W.

1974-01-01

Several studies are described of the chemistry of solid propellant combustion which employed a fast-scanning optical spectrometer. Expanded abstracts are presented for four of the studies which were previously reported. One study of the ignition of composite propellants yielded data which suggested early ammonium perchlorate decomposition and reaction. The results of a study of the spatial distribution of molecular species in flames from uncatalyzed and copper or lead catalyzed double-based propellants support previously published conclusions concerning the site of action of these metal catalysts. A study of the ammonium-perchlorate-polymeric-fuel-binder reaction in thin films, made by use of infrared absorption spectrometry, yielded a characterization of a rapid condensed-phase reaction which is likely important during the ignition transient and the burning process.

20 CFR 1002.264 - Is the employee allowed to repay a previous distribution from a pension benefits plan upon being...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... distribution from a pension benefits plan upon being reemployed? 1002.264 Section 1002.264 Employees' Benefits... and Benefits Pension Plan Benefits § 1002.264 Is the employee allowed to repay a previous distribution from a pension benefits plan upon being reemployed? Yes, provided the plan is a defined benefit plan...

Densities of Serotonergic Projections as Revealed by In Situ Synthesised Labelled α-Methyl-Serotonin: an Autoradiographic Evaluation

PubMed Central

Nishi, Kyoko; Takahashi, Sho

2013-01-01

An estimate of serotonergic innervation density and regional serotonin (5-HT) concentration was performed from the distribution of in situ produced labelled α-methyl-serotonin. Rats were injected with (3H) labelled α-methyl-L-tryptophan and the tracer distribution was measured using the autoradiographic method 14 days following the injection. In a separate experiment, the total brain concentration of 5-HT in the rat brain was found to be 2.4 ± 0.2 nmol/g. Based on this, and the assumption that the specific activity of in situ produced α-methyl-serotonin is the same as that of the injected tracer, it was possible to estimate the regional concentrations of 5-HT and the relative concentration of regional serotonergic innervations. It was found, and reported for the first time here, that the highest concentration of serotonergic innervation is present in the solitary nucleus. Regionally measured 5-HT concentrations accord well with previously reported concentrations of 5-HT. PMID:21472458

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) in northwestern Nevada: A newly discovered population at a low-elevation site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beever, E.A.; Wilkening, J.L.; McIvor, D.E.; Weber, S.S.; Brussard, P.F.

2008-01-01

The central tenet of island biogeography theory - that species assemblages on islands are functions of island area, isolation from mainlands, and vicariance - has been altered by the demonstrable effects that rapid climate change is imposing on insular faunas, at least in isolated mountaintops. Although populations of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) continue to suffer extirpations, and although the lower bounds of the pika's elevational distribution are shifting upslope across the Great Basin, we report here on the new discovery of a low-elevation population of pikas in a mountain range from which they had not been reported previously. This discovery, particularly in the context of relatively rapid ecological change, highlights the importance of seeking out original sources of information and performing spatially extensive fieldwork. Results presented here further illustrate that although thermal influences appear to be the single strongest determinant of pika distribution currently, such influences interact with a number of other factors to determine persistence.

Molecular techniques to distinguish morphologically similar Hydrilla verticillata, Egeria densa, Elodea nuttallii, and Elodea canadensis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rybicki, Nancy B.; Kirshtein, Julie D.; Voytek, Mary A.

2013-01-01

The four submerged aquatic species, hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata [monoecious and dioecious]), Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa), Canadian waterweed (Elodea canadensis), and western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), are difficult to positively identify because of their morphological similarity to each other, resulting in possible misidentification. This limits our ability to understand their past and present distribution, which is important in aquatic plant management. We investigated a molecular technique to identify these species, which are problematic because of their invasive nature on multiple continents. Approximately 100 samples of these species, ranging in age from 40-yr-old herbarium samples to recently collected plants, were collected from regions across the United States. The distribution and range of the samples collected in this research were compared to those reported in the literature. We confirmed information on the current wide distribution of both hydrilla biotypes in the United States and discovered that hydrilla had actually invaded the waterways near Washington, DC 6 yr earlier than originally reported. In addition, we found evidence of the confusion, dating back to the 1980s, between Canadian waterweed and western waterweed in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Canadian waterweed was previously reported as common and western waterweed as rare; however, our samples indicate the opposite is true. This information indicates there is a need for investigators to anticipate the spread of hydrilla populations to northern U.S. waterways, where it will compete with existing plant species, including Canadian and western waterweeds. Our ability to confirm distribution and pace of spread of invasive and noninvasive species will improve with increased application of molecular techniques.

PROBING THE ROLE OF CARBON IN ULTRAVIOLET EXTINCTION ALONG GALACTIC SIGHT LINES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parvathi, V. S.; Babu, B. R. S.; Sofia, U. J.

2012-11-20

We report previously undetermined interstellar gas and dust-phase carbon abundances along 15 Galactic sight lines based on archival data of the strong 1334.5323 A transition observed with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. These are combined with previously reported carbon measurements along six sight lines to produce a complete sample of interstellar C II measurements determined with the 1334 A transition. Our data set includes a variety of Galactic disk environments characterized by different extinctions and samples paths ranging over three orders of magnitude in average density of hydrogen ((n(H))). Our data support the idea that dust, specifically carbon-based grains, aremore » processed in the neutral interstellar medium. We, however, do not find that the abundance of carbon in dust or the grain-size distribution is related to the strength of the 2175 A bump. This is surprising, given that many current models have polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as the bump-producing dust.« less

Analysis of cell mechanics in single vinculin-deficient cells using a magnetic tweezer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alenghat, F. J.; Fabry, B.; Tsai, K. Y.; Goldmann, W. H.; Ingber, D. E.

2000-01-01

A magnetic tweezer was constructed to apply controlled tensional forces (10 pN to greater than 1 nN) to transmembrane receptors via bound ligand-coated microbeadswhile optically measuring lateral bead displacements within individual cells. Use of this system with wild-type F9 embryonic carcinoma cells and cells from a vinculin knockout mouse F9 Vin (-/-) revealed much larger differences in the stiffness of the transmembrane integrin linkages to the cytoskeleton than previously reported using related techniques that measured average mechanical properties of large cell populations. The mechanical properties measured varied widely among cells, exhibiting an approximately log-normal distribution. The median lateral bead displacement was 2-fold larger in F9 Vin (-/-) cells compared to wild-type cells whereas the arithmetic mean displacement only increased by 37%. We conclude that vinculin serves a greater mechanical role in cells than previously reported and that this magnetic tweezer device may be useful for probing the molecular basis of cell mechanics within single cells. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

A third genotype of the human parvovirus PARV4 in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Simmonds, Peter; Douglas, Jill; Bestetti, Giovanna; Longhi, Erika; Antinori, Spinello; Parravicini, Carlo; Corbellino, Mario

2008-09-01

PARV4 is a recently discovered human parvovirus widely distributed in injecting drug users in the USA and Europe, particularly in those co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Like parvovirus B19, PARV4 persists in previously exposed individuals. In bone marrow and lymphoid tissue, PARV4 sequences were detected in two sub-Saharan African study subjects with AIDS but without a reported history of parenteral exposure and who were uninfected with hepatitis C virus. PARV4 variants infecting these subjects were phylogenetically distinct from genotypes 1 and 2 (formerly PARV5) that were reported previously. Analysis of near-complete genome sequences demonstrated that they should be classified as a third (equidistant) PARV4 genotype. The availability of a further near-complete genome sequence of this novel genotype facilitated identification of conserved novel open reading frames embedded in the ORF2 coding sequence; one encoded a putative protein with identifiable homology to SAT proteins of members of the genus Parvovirus.

ABO blood groups, Rhesus negativity, and primary biliary cirrhosis

PubMed Central

Hamlyn, A. N.; Morris, J. S.; Sherlock, S.

1974-01-01

The distribution of blood groups and Rhesus negativity in 91 British patients with primary biliary cirrhosis was compared with a sample of registered blood donors. There were no significant differences from the expected proportions calculated from the control groups. Although the number of cases studied is small the analysis does not confirm previous reports of an excess of A group in the disease. If a genetic basis exists for primary biliary cirrhosis alternative markers must be found. PMID:4211827

Military Hydrology: Report 18, State-of-the-Art Review and Annotated Bibliography of Radar-Rain Gage Relations and Short-Term Weather Forecasting

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-01

conducted in four areas: (a) weather-hydrology interactions, (b) state of the ground, (c) streamflow , and (d) water supply. 4. Previously published...wavelengths having the greatest losses . Eccles (1978) had shown some success at figuring rainfall rates using dual wavelength radars and measuring differential...evaporation losses of up to 15 percent using the Mar- shall-Palmer (1948) drop size distribution with a temperature of 200 C and a relative humidity of 80

Ghost imaging for three-dimensional optical security

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Wen, E-mail: elechenw@nus.edu.sg; Chen, Xudong

2013-11-25

Ghost imaging has become increasingly popular in quantum and optical application fields. Here, we report three-dimensional (3D) optical security using ghost imaging. The series of random phase-only masks are sparsified, which are further converted into particle-like distributions placed in 3D space. We show that either an optical or digital approach can be employed for the encoding. The results illustrate that a larger key space can be generated due to the application of 3D space compared with previous works.

Influence of Grain Structure and Doping on the Deformation and Fracture of Polycrystalline Silicon for MEMS and NEMS

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-03

described in previous reports [32]. In this experimental technique, the specimen ends are gripped to loadcell and PZT actuator mounted on three dimensional...shown in Figure 3. This was due to the random distribution of columnar grains with different texture where KIC was dependent on one particular grain...Engineering: A, 268 (1-2), pp. 116-126, 1999 [19] C.P. Chen, and M.H. Leipold, "Fracture toughness of silicon", American Ceramics Society Bulletin

Multiple intensity distributions from a single optical element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berens, Michael; Bruneton, Adrien; Bäuerle, Axel; Traub, Martin; Wester, Rolf; Stollenwerk, Jochen; Loosen, Peter

2013-09-01

We report on an extension of the previously published two-step freeform optics tailoring algorithm using a Monge-Kantorovich mass transportation framework. The algorithm's ability to design multiple freeform surfaces allows for the inclusion of multiple distinct light paths and hence the implementation of multiple lighting functions in a single optical element. We demonstrate the procedure in the context of automotive lighting, in which a fog lamp and a daytime running lamp are integrated in a single optical element illuminated by two distinct groups of LEDs.

Theory of the intermediate stage of crystal growth with applications to insulin crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barlow, D. A.

2017-07-01

A theory for the intermediate stage of crystal growth, where two defining equations one for population continuity and another for mass-balance, is used to study the kinetics of the supersaturation decay, the homogeneous nucleation rate, the linear growth rate and the final distribution of crystal sizes for the crystallization of bovine and porcine insulin from solution. The cited experimental reports suggest that the crystal linear growth rate is directly proportional to the square of the insulin concentration in solution for bovine insulin and to the cube of concentration for porcine. In a previous work, it was shown that the above mentioned system could be solved for the case where the growth rate is directly proportional to the normalized supersaturation. Here a more general solution is presented valid for cases where the growth rate is directly proportional to the normalized supersaturation raised to the power of any positive integer. The resulting expressions for the time dependent normalized supersaturation and crystal size distribution are compared with experimental reports for insulin crystallization. An approximation for the maximum crystal size at the end of the intermediate stage is derived. The results suggest that the largest crystal size in the distribution at the end of the intermediate stage is maximized when nucleation is restricted to be only homogeneous. Further, the largest size in the final distribution depends only weakly upon the initial supersaturation.

Age, Gender, and Race-Based Coronary Artery Calcium Score Percentiles in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

PubMed

Pereira, Alexandre C; Gomez, Luz M; Bittencourt, Marcio Sommer; Staniak, Henrique Lane; Sharovsky, Rodolfo; Foppa, Murilo; Blaha, Michael J; Bensenor, Isabela M; Lotufo, Paulo A

2016-06-01

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) has been demonstrated to independently predict the risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, especially among White populations. Although the population distribution of CAC has been determined for several White populations, the distribution in ethnically admixed groups has not been well established. The CAC distribution, stratified for age, gender and race, is similar to the previously described distribution in the MESA study. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate subclinical cardiovascular disease in 6 different centers of Brazil. Similar to previous studies, individuals with self-reported coronary or cerebrovascular disease and those treated for diabetes mellitus were excluded from analysis. Percentiles of CAC distribution were estimated with nonparametric techniques. The analysis included 3616 individuals (54% female; mean age, 50 years). As expected, CAC prevalence and burden were steadily higher with increasing age, as well as increased in men and in White individuals. Our results revealed that for a given CAC score, the ELSA-derived CAC percentile would be lower in men compared with the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and would be higher in women compared with MESA. In our sample of the Brazilian population, we observed significant differences in CAC by sex, age, and race. Adjusted for age and sex, low-risk individuals from the Brazilian population present with significantly lower CAC prevalence and burden compared with other low-risk individuals from other worldwide populations. Using US-derived percentiles in Brazilian individuals may lead to overestimating relative CAC burden in men and underestimating relative CAC burden in women. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Macular pigment optical density spatial distribution measured in a subject with oculocutaneous albinism.

PubMed

Putnam, Christopher M; Bland, Pauline J

2014-01-01

Previous studies of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) distribution in individuals with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) have primarily used objective measurement techniques including fundus reflectometry and autofluorescence. We report here on a subject with OCA and their corresponding MPOD distribution assessed through heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP). A subject with a history of OCA presented with an ocular history including strabismus surgery of the LE with persistent amblyopia and mild, latent nystagmus. Best corrected visual acuity was 20/25- RE and 20/40- LE. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and fundus photography were also obtained. Evaluation of MPOD spatial distribution up to 8 degrees eccentricity from the fovea was performed using HFP. SD-OCT indicated a persistence of multiple inner retinal layers within the foveal region in the RE and LE including symmetric foveal thickening consistent with foveal hypoplasia. Fundus photography showed mild retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) hypopigmentation and a poorly demarcated macula. OriginPro 9 was used to plot MPOD spatial distribution of the subject and a 33-subject sample. The OCA subject demonstrated a foveal MPOD of 0.10 with undetectable levels at 6 degrees eccentricity. The study sample showed a mean foveal MPOD of 0.34 and mean 6 degree eccentricity values of 0.03. Consistent with previous macular pigment (MP) studies of OCA, overall MPOD is reduced in our subject. Mild phenotypic expression of OCA with high functional visual acuity may represent a Henle fiber layer amenable to additional MP deposition. Further study of MP supplementation in OCA patients is warranted. Copyright © 2014 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Waterborne transmission of protozoan parasites: Review of worldwide outbreaks - An update 2011-2016.

PubMed

Efstratiou, Artemis; Ongerth, Jerry E; Karanis, Panagiotis

2017-05-01

This review provides a comprehensive update of worldwide waterborne parasitic protozoan outbreaks that occurred with reports published since previous reviews largely between January 2011 and December 2016. At least 381 outbreaks attributed to waterborne transmission of parasitic protozoa were documented during this time period. The nearly half (49%) of reports occurred in New Zealand, 41% of the outbreaks in North America and 9% in Europe. The most common etiological agent was Cryptosporidium spp., reported in 63% (239) of the outbreaks, while Giardia spp. was mentioned in 37% (142). No outbreaks attributed to other parasitic protozoa were reported. The distribution of reported outbreaks does not correspond to more broadly available epidemiological data or general knowledge of water and environmental conditions in the reporting countries. Noticeably, developing countries that are probably most affected by such waterborne disease outbreaks still lack reliable surveillance systems, and an international standardization of surveillance and reporting systems has yet to be established. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New insights on late stage volcanism in the Pigafetta basin, western Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stadler, T.; Tominaga, M.

2014-12-01

We document observations of late stage volcanism in the western Pacific Pigafetta Basin by integrating previously published and new multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection profiles, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) drill core, and well log data. We examine data from three seismic experiments (FM35-12, MESOPAC II, and MTr5) conducted in the Pigafetta Basin, one of the oldest, deepest abyssal basins in the world, where crustal age is suggested to range from M29 (~157 Ma) to M44 (~169.8 Ma) based on Japanese Mesozoic magnetic lineations. We use a total of ~2150 km of MCS lines along with core and wire-line logging data from ODP Hole 801C. As a basis for our interpretation, we use previously defined seismic stratigraphy for the Pigafetta Basin, including Horizon B (basement) and lower transparent unit (volcaniclastic turbidites) terminology. We build synthetic seismograms from density and p-wave velocity logs using OpendTect v 4.6.0 tie well to seismic feature. We then incorporate energy and similarity attributes of the MCS profiles with the modeled seismogram to correlate reflectors to ODP Hole 801C lithostratigraphy. From this correlation, to be consistent with previous studies, we assign lithology and age to prominent sedimentary and basement reflectors throughout all survey lines. We characterize widely distributed deformation of Horizon B and lower sedimentary unit reflectors based on coherency of wiggle traces, lateral and vertical energy attenuation, and dip of reflectors over a range of scales (>10 km to <1 km). Our findings provide new evidence of late stage volcanism occurring in the Pigafetta Basin during the mid-Cretaceous (110 - 90 Ma). We classify late stage volcanism into 3 types of volcanic related features: (1) seamounts, (2) sills, and (3) vertical seismic disturbance zones (<<1 km wide) characterized by bilateral upward drag of reflectors (indicating a thin, vertical volcanic intrusion). The distribution of these features provide new insights into Cretaceous volcanism in the Pigafetta Basin: (i) late stage volcanism is more widely distributed and younger than previously reported, (ii) findings indicate a local source of magma, and (iii) the modes of volcanism differ from previously documented flood basalts and massive flows.

Further comments on oral transmission of Chagas' disease in Brazil: epidemiology, geographical distribution and viability of the infective parasite.

PubMed

Benchimol-Barbosa, Paulo R

2010-05-28

In 2006, Brazilian government received the international certificate of interruption of the vectorial transmission of Chagas' disease. However, outbreaks reported in Brazilian Amazon rainforest bear a regular occurrence and represents a relevant regional epidemiological gauge. The wild life cycle of the Chagas' disease transmission (i.e., triatomine-marsupial cycle) is present outside the previously reported endemic belt, ubiquitously, as infective triatomines can be demonstrated in Palm trees widespread all over the Amazon rainforest. As humans invade the rainforest, one is incidentally caught up and further becomes' an active part of American trypanosomiasis wild life cycle. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen Pathways: Updated Cost, Well-to-Wheels Energy Use, and Emissions for the Current Technology Status of Ten Hydrogen Production, Delivery, and Distribution Scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramsden, T.; Ruth, M.; Diakov, V.

2013-03-01

This report describes a life-cycle assessment conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of 10 hydrogen production, delivery, dispensing, and use pathways that were evaluated for cost, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This evaluation updates and expands on a previous assessment of seven pathways conducted in 2009. This study summarizes key results, parameters, and sensitivities to those parameters for the 10 hydrogen pathways, reporting on the levelized cost of hydrogen in 2007 U.S. dollars as well as life-cycle well-to-wheels energy use and GHG emissions associated with the pathways.

Preferred gait and walk-run transition speeds in ostriches measured using GPS-IMU sensors.

PubMed

Daley, Monica A; Channon, Anthony J; Nolan, Grant S; Hall, Jade

2016-10-15

The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is widely appreciated as a fast and agile bipedal athlete, and is a useful comparative bipedal model for human locomotion. Here, we used GPS-IMU sensors to measure naturally selected gait dynamics of ostriches roaming freely over a wide range of speeds in an open field and developed a quantitative method for distinguishing walking and running using accelerometry. We compared freely selected gait-speed distributions with previous laboratory measures of gait dynamics and energetics. We also measured the walk-run and run-walk transition speeds and compared them with those reported for humans. We found that ostriches prefer to walk remarkably slowly, with a narrow walking speed distribution consistent with minimizing cost of transport (CoT) according to a rigid-legged walking model. The dimensionless speeds of the walk-run and run-walk transitions are slower than those observed in humans. Unlike humans, ostriches transition to a run well below the mechanical limit necessitating an aerial phase, as predicted by a compass-gait walking model. When running, ostriches use a broad speed distribution, consistent with previous observations that ostriches are relatively economical runners and have a flat curve for CoT against speed. In contrast, horses exhibit U-shaped curves for CoT against speed, with a narrow speed range within each gait for minimizing CoT. Overall, the gait dynamics of ostriches moving freely over natural terrain are consistent with previous lab-based measures of locomotion. Nonetheless, ostriches, like humans, exhibit a gait-transition hysteresis that is not explained by steady-state locomotor dynamics and energetics. Further study is required to understand the dynamics of gait transitions. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Developmental distribution of the plasma membrane-enriched proteome in the maize primary root growth zone.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhe; Voothuluru, Priyamvada; Yamaguchi, Mineo; Sharp, Robert E; Peck, Scott C

2013-01-01

Within the growth zone of the maize primary root, there are well-defined patterns of spatial and temporal organization of cell division and elongation. However, the processes underlying this organization remain poorly understood. To gain additional insights into the differences amongst the defined regions, we performed a proteomic analysis focusing on fractions enriched for plasma membrane (PM) proteins. The PM is the interface between the plant cell and the apoplast and/or extracellular space. As such, it is a key structure involved in the exchange of nutrients and other molecules as well as in the integration of signals that regulate growth and development. Despite the important functions of PM-localized proteins in mediating these processes, a full understanding of dynamic changes in PM proteomes is often impeded by low relative concentrations relative to total proteins. Using a relatively simple strategy of treating microsomal fractions with Brij-58 detergent to enrich for PM proteins, we compared the developmental distribution of proteins within the root growth zone which revealed a number of previously known as well as novel proteins with interesting patterns of abundance. For instance, the quantitative proteomic analysis detected a gradient of PM aquaporin proteins similar to that previously reported using immunoblot analyses, confirming the veracity of this strategy. Cellulose synthases increased in abundance with increasing distance from the root apex, consistent with expected locations of cell wall deposition. The similar distribution pattern for Brittle-stalk-2-like protein implicates that this protein may also have cell wall related functions. These results show that the simplified PM enrichment method previously demonstrated in Arabidopsis can be successfully applied to completely unrelated plant tissues and provide insights into differences in the PM proteome throughout growth and development zones of the maize primary root.

Detailed Spectral Analysis of the 260 ks XMM-Newton Data of 1E 1207.4-5209 and Significance of a 2.1 keV Absorption Feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Kaya; Chonko, James C.; Hailey, Charles J.

2005-10-01

We have reanalyzed the 260 ks XMM-Newton observation of 1E 1207.4-5209. There are several significant improvements over previous work. First, a much broader range of physically plausible spectral models was used. Second, we have used a more rigorous statistical analysis. The standard F-distribution was not employed, but rather the exact finite statistics F-distribution was determined by Monte Carlo simulations. This approach was motivated by the recent work of Protassov and coworkers and Freeman and coworkers. They demonstrated that the standard F-distribution is not even asymptotically correct when applied to assess the significance of additional absorption features in a spectrum. With our improved analysis we do not find a third and fourth spectral feature in 1E 1207.4-5209 but only the two broad absorption features previously reported. Two additional statistical tests, one line model dependent and the other line model independent, confirmed our modified F-test analysis. For all physically plausible continuum models in which the weak residuals are strong enough to fit, the residuals occur at the instrument Au M edge. As a sanity check we confirmed that the residuals are consistent in strength and position with the instrument Au M residuals observed in 3C 273.

Proximity within interphase chromosome contributes to the breakpoint distribution in radiation-induced intrachromosomal exchanges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ye; Uhlemeyer, Jimmy; Hada, Megumi; Asaithamby, A.; Chen, David J.; Wu, Honglu

2014-07-01

Previously, we reported that breaks involved in chromosome aberrations were clustered in several regions of chromosome 3 in human mammary epithelial cells after exposures to either low- or high-LET radiation. In particular, breaks in certain regions of the chromosome tended to rejoin with each other to form an intrachromosome exchange event. This study tests the hypothesis that proximity within a single chromosome in interphase cell nuclei contributes to the distribution of radiation-induced chromosome breaks. Chromosome 3 in G1 human mammary epithelial cells was hybridized with the multicolor banding in situ hybridization (mBAND) probes that distinguish the chromosome in six differently colored regions, and the location of these regions was measured with a laser confocal microscope. Results of the study indicated that, on a multi-mega base pair scale of the DNA, the arrangement of chromatin was non-random. Both telomere regions tended to be located towards the exterior of the chromosome domain, whereas the centromere region towards the interior. In addition, the interior of the chromosome domain was preferentially occupied by the p-arm of the chromatin, which is consistent with our previous finding of intrachromosome exchanges involving breaks on the p-arm and in the centromere region of chromosome 3. Other factors, such as the fragile sites in the 3p21 band and gene regulation, may also contribute to the breakpoint distribution in radiation-induced chromosome aberrations.

GaAsBi/GaAs multi-quantum well LED grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a two-substrate-temperature technique.

PubMed

Patil, Pallavi Kisan; Luna, Esperanza; Matsuda, Teruyoshi; Yamada, Kohki; Kamiya, Keisuke; Ishikawa, Fumitaro; Shimomura, Satoshi

2017-03-10

We report a GaAs 0.96 Bi 0.04 /GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) light emitting diode (LED) grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a two-substrate-temperature (TST) technique. In particular, the QWs and the barriers in the intrinsic region were grown at the different temperatures of [Formula: see text] = 350 °C and [Formula: see text] respectively. Investigations of the microstructure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal homogeneous MQWs free of extended defects. Furthermore, the local determination of the Bi distribution profile across the MQWs region using TEM techniques confirm the uniform Bi distribution, while revealing a slightly chemically graded GaAs-on-GaAsBi interface due to Bi surface segregation. Despite this small broadening, we found that Bi segregation is significantly reduced (up to 18% reduction) compared to previous reports on Bi segregation in GaAsBi/GaAs MQWs. Hence, the TST procedure proves as a very efficient method to reduce Bi segregation and thus increase the quality of the layers and interfaces. These improvements positively reflect in the optical properties. Room temperature photoluminescence and electroluminescence (EL) at 1.23 μm emission wavelength are successfully demonstrated using TST MQWs containing less Bi content than in previous reports. Finally, LED fabricated using the present TST technique show current-voltage (I-V) curves with a forward voltage of 3.3 V at an injection current of 130 mA under 1.0 kA cm -2 current excitation. These results not only demonstrate that TST technique provides optical device quality GaAsBi/GaAs MQWs but highlight the relevance of TST-based growth techniques on the fabrication of future heterostructure devices based on dilute bismides.

GaAsBi/GaAs multi-quantum well LED grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a two-substrate-temperature technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kisan Patil, Pallavi; Luna, Esperanza; Matsuda, Teruyoshi; Yamada, Kohki; Kamiya, Keisuke; Ishikawa, Fumitaro; Shimomura, Satoshi

2017-03-01

We report a GaAs0.96Bi0.04/GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) light emitting diode (LED) grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a two-substrate-temperature (TST) technique. In particular, the QWs and the barriers in the intrinsic region were grown at the different temperatures of {T}{{GaAsBi}} = 350 °C and {T}{{GaAs}} = 550 ^\\circ {{C}}, respectively. Investigations of the microstructure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal homogeneous MQWs free of extended defects. Furthermore, the local determination of the Bi distribution profile across the MQWs region using TEM techniques confirm the uniform Bi distribution, while revealing a slightly chemically graded GaAs-on-GaAsBi interface due to Bi surface segregation. Despite this small broadening, we found that Bi segregation is significantly reduced (up to 18% reduction) compared to previous reports on Bi segregation in GaAsBi/GaAs MQWs. Hence, the TST procedure proves as a very efficient method to reduce Bi segregation and thus increase the quality of the layers and interfaces. These improvements positively reflect in the optical properties. Room temperature photoluminescence and electroluminescence (EL) at 1.23 μm emission wavelength are successfully demonstrated using TST MQWs containing less Bi content than in previous reports. Finally, LED fabricated using the present TST technique show current-voltage (I-V) curves with a forward voltage of 3.3 V at an injection current of 130 mA under 1.0 kA cm-2 current excitation. These results not only demonstrate that TST technique provides optical device quality GaAsBi/GaAs MQWs but highlight the relevance of TST-based growth techniques on the fabrication of future heterostructure devices based on dilute bismides.

2002-2003 Wet Season Branchiopod Survey Report, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Site 300, Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weber, W; Woollett, J

2004-11-16

Condor Country Consulting conducted surveys for listed branchiopods in the 2002-2003 wet season to complete requirements of the Guidelines (USFWS 1996) used to determine the distribution of federally-listed branchiopods within the study area. The first survey was performed during the previous wet season (2001-2002). The 2002-2003 wet season survey, combined with the previous season's survey, is intended to provide LLNL with information that will assist them in determining the effects of the proposed action on federally listed branchiopods and provide information useful in the preparation of the associated environmental documentation. It is also expected to satisfy the survey requirements ofmore » the USFWS. For the purpose of this report, the term branchiopod refers specifically to phyllopodous branchiopods and not cladocerans. Fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, and clam shrimp are all categorized as phyllopodous branchiopods and are currently the only members of the Class Branchiopoda that contain species that are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. Although cladocerans are branchiopods and were found on the site, they are only referred to by the Order in this report because they are not the target species of this study.« less

SMALL-SCALE AND GLOBAL DYNAMOS AND THE AREA AND FLUX DISTRIBUTIONS OF ACTIVE REGIONS, SUNSPOT GROUPS, AND SUNSPOTS: A MULTI-DATABASE STUDY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muñoz-Jaramillo, Andrés; Windmueller, John C.; Amouzou, Ernest C.

2015-02-10

In this work, we take advantage of 11 different sunspot group, sunspot, and active region databases to characterize the area and flux distributions of photospheric magnetic structures. We find that, when taken separately, different databases are better fitted by different distributions (as has been reported previously in the literature). However, we find that all our databases can be reconciled by the simple application of a proportionality constant, and that, in reality, different databases are sampling different parts of a composite distribution. This composite distribution is made up by linear combination of Weibull and log-normal distributions—where a pure Weibull (log-normal) characterizesmore » the distribution of structures with fluxes below (above) 10{sup 21}Mx (10{sup 22}Mx). Additionally, we demonstrate that the Weibull distribution shows the expected linear behavior of a power-law distribution (when extended to smaller fluxes), making our results compatible with the results of Parnell et al. We propose that this is evidence of two separate mechanisms giving rise to visible structures on the photosphere: one directly connected to the global component of the dynamo (and the generation of bipolar active regions), and the other with the small-scale component of the dynamo (and the fragmentation of magnetic structures due to their interaction with turbulent convection)« less

Genome-Wide Association of Body Fat Distribution in African Ancestry Populations Suggests New Loci

PubMed Central

Lange, Leslie; Demerath, Ellen W.; Palmas, Walter; Wojczynski, Mary K.; Ellis, Jaclyn C.; Vitolins, Mara Z.; Liu, Simin; Papanicolaou, George J.; Irvin, Marguerite R.; Xue, Luting; Griffin, Paula J.; Nalls, Michael A.; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Liu, Jiankang; Li, Guo; Ruiz-Narvaez, Edward A.; Chen, Wei-Min; Chen, Fang; Henderson, Brian E.; Millikan, Robert C.; Ambrosone, Christine B.; Strom, Sara S.; Guo, Xiuqing; Andrews, Jeanette S.; Sun, Yan V.; Mosley, Thomas H.; Yanek, Lisa R.; Shriner, Daniel; Haritunians, Talin; Rotter, Jerome I.; Speliotes, Elizabeth K.; Smith, Megan; Rosenberg, Lynn; Mychaleckyj, Josyf; Nayak, Uma; Spruill, Ida; Garvey, W. Timothy; Pettaway, Curtis; Nyante, Sarah; Bandera, Elisa V.; Britton, Angela F.; Zonderman, Alan B.; Rasmussen-Torvik, Laura J.; Chen, Yii-Der Ida; Ding, Jingzhong; Lohman, Kurt; Kritchevsky, Stephen B.; Zhao, Wei; Peyser, Patricia A.; Kardia, Sharon L. R.; Kabagambe, Edmond; Broeckel, Ulrich; Chen, Guanjie; Zhou, Jie; Wassertheil-Smoller, Sylvia; Neuhouser, Marian L.; Rampersaud, Evadnie; Psaty, Bruce; Kooperberg, Charles; Manson, JoAnn E.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Ochs-Balcom, Heather M.; Johnson, Karen C.; Sucheston, Lara; Ordovas, Jose M.; Palmer, Julie R.; Haiman, Christopher A.; McKnight, Barbara; Howard, Barbara V.; Becker, Diane M.; Bielak, Lawrence F.; Liu, Yongmei; Allison, Matthew A.; Grant, Struan F. A.; Burke, Gregory L.; Patel, Sanjay R.; Schreiner, Pamela J.; Borecki, Ingrid B.; Evans, Michele K.; Taylor, Herman; Sale, Michele M.; Howard, Virginia; Carlson, Christopher S.; Rotimi, Charles N.; Cushman, Mary; Harris, Tamara B.; Reiner, Alexander P.; Cupples, L. Adrienne; North, Kari E.; Fox, Caroline S.

2013-01-01

Central obesity, measured by waist circumference (WC) or waist-hip ratio (WHR), is a marker of body fat distribution. Although obesity disproportionately affects minority populations, few studies have conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) of fat distribution among those of predominantly African ancestry (AA). We performed GWAS of WC and WHR, adjusted and unadjusted for BMI, in up to 33,591 and 27,350 AA individuals, respectively. We identified loci associated with fat distribution in AA individuals using meta-analyses of GWA results for WC and WHR (stage 1). Overall, 25 SNPs with single genomic control (GC)-corrected p-values<5.0×10−6 were followed-up (stage 2) in AA with WC and with WHR. Additionally, we interrogated genomic regions of previously identified European ancestry (EA) WHR loci among AA. In joint analysis of association results including both Stage 1 and 2 cohorts, 2 SNPs demonstrated association, rs2075064 at LHX2, p = 2.24×10−8 for WC-adjusted-for-BMI, and rs6931262 at RREB1, p = 2.48×10−8 for WHR-adjusted-for-BMI. However, neither signal was genome-wide significant after double GC-correction (LHX2: p = 6.5×10−8; RREB1: p = 5.7×10−8). Six of fourteen previously reported loci for waist in EA populations were significant (p<0.05 divided by the number of independent SNPs within the region) in AA studied here (TBX15-WARS2, GRB14, ADAMTS9, LY86, RSPO3, ITPR2-SSPN). Further, we observed associations with metabolic traits: rs13389219 at GRB14 associated with HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting insulin, and rs13060013 at ADAMTS9 with HDL-cholesterol and fasting insulin. Finally, we observed nominal evidence for sexual dimorphism, with stronger results in AA women at the GRB14 locus (p for interaction = 0.02). In conclusion, we identified two suggestive loci associated with fat distribution in AA populations in addition to confirming 6 loci previously identified in populations of EA. These findings reinforce the concept that there are fat distribution loci that are independent of generalized adiposity. PMID:23966867

Simulations of Evaporating Multicomponent Fuel Drops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bellan, Josette; Le Clercq, Patrick

2005-01-01

A paper presents additional information on the subject matter of Model of Mixing Layer With Multicomponent Evaporating Drops (NPO-30505), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 3 (March 2004), page 55. To recapitulate: A mathematical model of a three-dimensional mixing layer laden with evaporating fuel drops composed of many chemical species has been derived. The model is used to perform direct numerical simulations in continuing studies directed toward understanding the behaviors of sprays of liquid petroleum fuels in furnaces, industrial combustors, and engines. The model includes governing equations formulated in an Eulerian and a Lagrangian reference frame for the gas and drops, respectively, and incorporates a concept of continuous thermodynamics, according to which the chemical composition of a fuel is described by use of a distribution function. In this investigation, the distribution function depends solely on the species molar weight. The present paper reiterates the description of the model and discusses further in-depth analysis of the previous results as well as results of additional numerical simulations assessing the effect of the mass loading. The paper reiterates the conclusions reported in the cited previous article, and states some new conclusions. Some new conclusions are: 1. The slower evaporation and the evaporation/ condensation process for multicomponent-fuel drops resulted in a reduced drop-size polydispersity compared to their single-component counterpart. 2. The inhomogeneity in the spatial distribution of the species in the layer increases with the initial mass loading. 3. As evaporation becomes faster, the assumed invariant form of the molecular- weight distribution during evaporation becomes inaccurate.

Energy Engineering Analysis Program, limited energy study of steam distribution systems, Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot, Hawthorne, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-31

This report summarizes all work of the Limited Energy Study of Steam Distribution Systems, Energy Engineering Analysis Program, Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot (HWAAD), Nevada. The project is authorized under Contract No. DACA05-92-C-0155 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, California. The purpose of this limited energy study is to evaluate steam distribution and condensate collection systems in both the Industrial Area and Ordnance Area of HWAAD to develop a set of replacement actions that will reduce energy consumption and operating costs. These efforts consist of corrections and revisions to previously submitted funding requests. Amended DD Forms 1391 andmore » supporting documentation are prepared for: (1) Project 40667, Modernize Steam Distribution System, Industrial Area, and (2) Project 42166, Modernize Ordnance Area Steam Distribution, Ordnance Area. HWAAD is located next to Highway 95 near the center of Nevada`s border with California, about 130 miles southeast of Reno. The elevation is about 4,100 feet. The location is depicted on Figure 1-1. A number of facilities covering over 140,000 acres constitute HWAAD; however, this study was limited to the Industrial and Ordnance Areas.« less

Complex rupture mechanism and topography control symmetry of mass-wasting pattern, 2010 Haiti earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorum, Tolga; van Westen, Cees J.; Korup, Oliver; van der Meijde, Mark; Fan, Xuanmei; van der Meer, Freek D.

2013-02-01

The 12 January 2010 Mw 7.0 Haiti earthquake occurred in a complex deformation zone at the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates. Combined geodetic, geological and seismological data posited that surface deformation was driven by rupture on the Léogâne blind thrust fault, while part of the rupture occurred as deep lateral slip on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault (EPGF). The earthquake triggered > 4490 landslides, mainly shallow, disrupted rock falls, debris-soil falls and slides, and a few lateral spreads, over an area of ~ 2150 km2. The regional distribution of these slope failures defies those of most similar earthquake-triggered landslide episodes reported previously. Most of the coseismic landslides did not proliferate in the hanging wall of the main rupture, but clustered instead at the junction of the blind Léogâne and EPGF ruptures, where topographic relief and hillslope steepness are above average. Also, low-relief areas subjected to high coseismic uplift were prone to lesser hanging wall slope instability than previous studies would suggest. We argue that a combined effect of complex rupture dynamics and topography primarily control this previously rarely documented landslide pattern. Compared to recent thrust fault-earthquakes of similar magnitudes elsewhere, we conclude that lower static stress drop, mean fault displacement, and blind ruptures of the 2010 Haiti earthquake resulted in fewer, smaller, and more symmetrically distributed landslides than previous studies would suggest. Our findings caution against overly relying on across-the-board models of slope stability response to seismic ground shaking.

Use of density equalizing map projections (DEMP) in the analysis of childhood cancer in four California counties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Merrill, D.W.; Selvin, S.; Close, E.R.

In studying geographic disease distributions, one normally compares rates of arbitrarily defined geographic subareas (e.g. census tracts), thereby sacrificing the geographic detail of the original data. The sparser the data, the larger the subareas must be in order to calculate stable rates. This dilemma is avoided with the technique of Density Equalizing Map Projections (DEMP). Boundaries of geographic subregions are adjusted to equalize population density over the entire study area. Case locations plotted on the transformed map should have a uniform distribution if the underlying disease-rates are constant. On the transformed map, the statistical analysis of the observed distribution ismore » greatly simplified. Even for sparse distributions, the statistical significance of a supposed disease cluster can be reliably calculated. The present report describes the first successful application of the DEMP technique to a sizeable ``real-world`` data set of epidemiologic interest. An improved DEMP algorithm [GUSE93, CLOS94] was applied to a data set previously analyzed with conventional techniques [SATA90, REYN91]. The results from the DEMP analysis and a conventional analysis are compared.« less

Catalogue of distribution of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Brazilian Amazonia. II. Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, Sphaerodactylidae.

PubMed

Ribeiro-Júnior, Marco A

2015-07-02

I present distribution data of all geckos (Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae and Sphaerodactylidae) known from the Brazilian Amazonia, totaling 19 species, belonging to nine genera. This represents six more taxa than previously reported for these families. Data were based on the direct examination of 23,094 specimens deposited in three North American and eight Brazilian museums. Most species (68.4%) are endemic to the Amazonia; non-endemic species are mainly associated with open dry (semideciduous) forest or open vegetation (savanna) enclaves in Amazonia. As a whole, three taxa are widespread in Amazonia, two are restricted to eastern Amazonia, two to western Amazonia, three to northern Amazonia (either widespread or restriced to parts of the Guiana region), one to southern Amazonia, one to southwestern Amazonia, and three to the southern peripheral portion of Amazonia. Additionally, four species have unique distributions and four species have a distribution that is congruent with one of the areas of endemism recognized for other organisms (birds and primates), of which two occur in the area of endemism of Guiana, one in Inambari, and one in Tapajós.

X-RAY EMISSION LINE PROFILES FROM WIND CLUMP BOW SHOCKS IN MASSIVE STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ignace, R.; Waldron, W. L.; Cassinelli, J. P.

2012-05-01

The consequences of structured flows continue to be a pressing topic in relating spectral data to physical processes occurring in massive star winds. In a preceding paper, our group reported on hydrodynamic simulations of hypersonic flow past a rigid spherical clump to explore the structure of bow shocks that can form around wind clumps. Here we report on profiles of emission lines that arise from such bow shock morphologies. To compute emission line profiles, we adopt a two-component flow structure of wind and clumps using two 'beta' velocity laws. While individual bow shocks tend to generate double-horned emission line profiles,more » a group of bow shocks can lead to line profiles with a range of shapes with blueshifted peak emission that depends on the degree of X-ray photoabsorption by the interclump wind medium, the number of clump structures in the flow, and the radial distribution of the clumps. Using the two beta law prescription, the theoretical emission measure and temperature distribution throughout the wind can be derived. The emission measure tends to be power law, and the temperature distribution is broad in terms of wind velocity. Although restricted to the case of adiabatic cooling, our models highlight the influence of bow shock effects for hot plasma temperature and emission measure distributions in stellar winds and their impact on X-ray line profile shapes. Previous models have focused on geometrical considerations of the clumps and their distribution in the wind. Our results represent the first time that the temperature distribution of wind clump structures are explicitly and self-consistently accounted for in modeling X-ray line profile shapes for massive stars.« less

Modality of tumor endothelial VEGFR2 silencing-mediated improvement in intratumoral distribution of lipid nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Shoshiro; Kato, Akari; Sakurai, Yu; Hada, Tomoya; Harashima, Hideyoshi

2017-04-10

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated enhancement in vascular permeability is considered to be a major factor in tumor-targeting delivery via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. We previously reported that the silencing of the endothelial VEGF receptor (VEGFR2) by a liposomal siRNA system (RGD-MEND) resulted in an enhanced intratumoral distribution of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified liposomes (LPs) in a renal cell carcinoma, a type of hypervascularized cancer, although the inhibition of VEGF signaling would be expected to decrease the permeability of the tumor vasculature. We herein report that the enhancement in the intratumoral distribution of LPs by VEGFR2 inhibition was dependent on the vascular type of the tumor (stroma vessel type; SV and tumor vessel type; TV). In the case of TV-type tumors (renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma), inhibiting VEGFR2 improved intratumoral distribution, while no effect was found in the case of SV-type tumors (colorectal cancer). Moreover, through a comparison of the intratumoral distribution of LPs with a variety of physical properties (100nm vs 400nm, neutral vs negative vs positive), VEGFR2 inhibition was found to alter the tumor microenvironment, including heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). In addition, the results regarding the effect of the size of nanoparticles indicated that VEGFR2 inhibition improved the penetration of nanoparticles through the vessel wall, but not via permeability, suggesting the involvement of an unknown mechanism. Our findings suggest that a combination of anti-angiogenic therapy and delivery via the EPR effect would be useful in certain cases, and that altering the tumor microenvironment by VEGFR2 blockade has a drastic effect on the intratumoral distribution of nanoparticles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A synopsis of the Euphaeidae (Odonata: Zygoptera) of Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species of Euphaea.

PubMed

Phan, Quoc Toan; Kompier, Tom; Karube, Haruki; Hayashi, Fumio

2018-01-24

23 species of Euphaeidae (Odonata: Zygoptera) are reported from Vietnam including two new species of Euphaea, E. saola Phan Hayashi, sp. nov. and E. sanguinea Kompier Hayashi, sp. nov., and four species not recorded previously, Bayadera continentalis Asahina, 1973, B. hyalina Selys, 1879, B. nephelopennis Davies Yang, 1996 and Euphaea pahyapi Hämäläinen, 1985. The females of Anisopleura bipugio Hämäläinen Karube, 2013, Bayadera serrata Davies Yang, 1996 and Euphaea hirta Hämäläinen Karube, 2001 are described for the first time. The mutual taxonomic status of Bayadera hyalina and B. strigata Davies Yang, 1996 is discussed. Distribution maps of all known Vietnamese species, with detailed distribution records, are provided.

Hot Spots on Io: Initial Results From Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopes-Gautier, Rosaly; Davies, A. G.; Carlson, R.; Smythe, W.; Kamp, L.; Soderblom, L.; Leader, F. E.; Mehlman, R.

1997-01-01

The Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer on Galileo has monitored the volcanic activity on Io since June 28, 1996. This paper presents preliminary analysis of NIMS thermal data for the first four orbits of the Galileo mission. NIMS has detected 18 new hot spots and 12 others which were previously known to be active. The distribution of the hot spots on Io's surface may not be random, as hot spots surround the two bright, SO2-rich regions of Bosphorus Regio and Colchis Regio. Most hot spots scan to be persistently active from orbit to orbit and 10 of those detected were active in 1979 during the Voyager encounters. We report the distribution of hot spot temperatures and find that they are consistent with silicate volcanism.

Numerical studies of identification in nonlinear distributed parameter systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, H. T.; Lo, C. K.; Reich, Simeon; Rosen, I. G.

1989-01-01

An abstract approximation framework and convergence theory for the identification of first and second order nonlinear distributed parameter systems developed previously by the authors and reported on in detail elsewhere are summarized and discussed. The theory is based upon results for systems whose dynamics can be described by monotone operators in Hilbert space and an abstract approximation theorem for the resulting nonlinear evolution system. The application of the theory together with numerical evidence demonstrating the feasibility of the general approach are discussed in the context of the identification of a first order quasi-linear parabolic model for one dimensional heat conduction/mass transport and the identification of a nonlinear dissipation mechanism (i.e., damping) in a second order one dimensional wave equation. Computational and implementational considerations, in particular, with regard to supercomputing, are addressed.

The impact of outcome orientation and justice concerns on tax compliance: the role of taxpayers' identity.

PubMed

Wenzel, Michael

2002-08-01

Previous research has yielded inconsistent evidence for the impact of justice perceptions on tax compliance. This article suggests a more differentiated view on the basis of 2 congenial theories of procedural and distributive justice. The group-value model and a categorization approach argue that taxpayers are more concerned about justice and less about personal outcomes when they identify strongly with the inclusive category within which procedures and distributions apply. Regression analyses of survey data from 2,040 Australian citizens showed that 2 forms of tax compliance (pay-income reporting and tax minimization) were determined by self-interest variables. For 2 other forms (nonpay income and deductions), inclusive identification had an additional effect and moderated the effects of self-interest and justice variables as predicted.

First Cytogenetic Profile of Omani Patients with de novo Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Comparison with data from Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America.

PubMed

Udayakumar, Achandira M; Fawaz, Nagla; Pathare, Anil; Asraf, Shakila; Al-Huneini, Mohammed; Al-Farsi, Khalil; Al-Kindi, Salam; Al-Khabouri, Murtadha

2017-08-01

Clonal cytogenetic abnormalities have been reported among 30-80% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS); however, 20-70% of patients with MDS show a normal karyotype that may nevertheless harbour a cryptic genetic alteration. Earlier reports have suggested that the distribution of specific chromosomal aberrations varies among Western and Asian countries, with geographical and ethnic differences in the frequency of specific chromosomal aberrations. This article compared the cytogenetic data of 36 adult Omani patients with MDS to previously reported data from other populations. Differences were noted between the percentages of clonal aberrations and the median age of Omani subjects at presentation in comparison to individuals of different ethnicities and from various geographical locations. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report to describe the cytogenetic data of patients with MDS from Oman.

Frequency distribution and correlation among mineral elements in Lycium andersonii from the northern Mojave Desert

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wallace, A.; Romney, E,M.; Alexander, G.V.

1980-01-01

Two hundred samples of leaves of Lycium andersonii A. Gray, each representing one plant and divided among six different locations, were assayed by emission spectrography. Information for 12 different elements is reported in terms of concentrations, frequency distribution, correlations, and some soil characteristics. The objective was to ascertain the nature of variability for mineral elements within a species. Composition varied significantly for all 12 elements among locations, all within about 20 km. At least part of the variation was due to soil characteristics. Samples from Rock Valley were highest in K, Na, and Li, which effect is associated with volcanicmore » outcrop. Samples from Mercury Valley were highest in P, Mg, Ba, and B. At least Mg is related to the soil composition. Correlation coefficients between element pairs were often very different for all 200 samples versus those obtained for individual locations. Some of the values for all 200 samples together proved to be artifacts. The highest correlation was for Ca x Sr (positive) and next was Ca x Mg (also positive). Most correlations were slightly or strongly positive (24 to 32). Only P x Ca, Ca x Na, Ca x B, and Sr x P seemed to be significantly negative of the 32 correlations examined. Frequency distribution patterns where common populations were grouped were often normally distributed. Li, as previously reported, and Na, Cu, Mn,and B and Ba at some locations were not normally distributed. Wide variations in the concentrations of individual elements in leaves of these species were encountered.« less

Population ecology of the mallard: VII. Distribution and derivation of the harvest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munro, Robert E.; Kimball, Charles F.

1982-01-01

This is the seventh in a series of comprehensive reports on population ecology of the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in North America. Banding records for 1961-1975 were used, together with information from previous reports in this series, to estimate annual and average preseason age and sex structure of the mallard population and patterns of harvest distribution and derivation. Age ratios in the pre-season population averaged 0.98 immatures per adult and ranged from 0.75 to 1.44. The adult male per female ration averaged 1.42. The young male per female ratio average 1.01. Geographic and annual differences in recovery distributions were associated with age, sex, and years after banding. Such variation might indicate that survival or band recovery rates, or both, change as a function of number of years after banding, and that estimates of these rates might thus be affected. Distribution of the mallard harvest from 16 major breeding ground reference areas to States, Provinces, and flyways is tabulated and illustrated. Seasonal (weekly) breeding ground derivation of the harvest within States and Provinces from the 16 reference areas also is tabulated. Harvest distributions, derivation, and similarity of derivation between harvest areas are summarily illustrated with maps. Derivation of harvest appears to be consistent throughout the hunting season in the middle and south central United States, encompassing States in both the Central and Mississippi flyways. However, weekly derivation patterns for most northern States suggest that early dates of hunting result in relatively greater harvest of locally derived mallard, in contrast to birds from more northern breeding areas.

Sources and proxy potential of long chain alkyl diols in lacustrine environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rampen, Sebastiaan W.; Datema, Mariska; Rodrigo-Gámiz, Marta; Schouten, Stefan; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2014-11-01

Long chain 1,13- and 1,15-alkyl diols form the base of a number of recently proposed proxies used for climate reconstruction. However, the sources of these lipids and environmental controls on their distribution are still poorly constrained. We have analyzed the long chain alkyl diol (LCD) composition of cultures of ten eustigmatophyte species, with three species from different families grown at various temperatures, to identify the effect of species composition and growth temperature on the LCD distribution. The results were compared with the LCD distribution of sixty-two lake surface sediments, and with previously reported LCD distributions from marine environments. The different families within the Eustigmatophyceae show distinct LCD patterns, with the freshwater family Eustigmataceae most closely resembling LCD distributions in both marine and lake environments. Unlike the other two eustigmatophyte families analyzed (Monodopsidaceae and Goniochloridaceae), C28 and C30 1,13-alkyl diols and C30 and C32 1,15-alkyl diols are all relatively abundant in the family Eustigmataceae, while the mono-unsaturated C32 1,15-alkyl diol was below detection limit. In contrast to the marine environment, LCD distributions in lakes did not show a clear relationship with temperature. The Long chain Diol Index (LDI), a proxy previously proposed for sea surface temperature reconstruction, showed a relatively weak correlation (R2 = 0.33) with mean annual air temperature used as an approximation for annual mean surface temperature of the lakes. A much-improved correlation (R2 = 0.74, p-value <0.001) was observed applying a multiple linear regression analysis between LCD distributions and lake temperatures reconstructed using branched tetraether lipid distributions. The obtained regression model provides good estimates of temperatures for cultures of the family Eustigmataceae, suggesting that algae belonging to this family have an important role as a source for LCDs in lacustrine environments, or, alternatively, that the main sources of LCDs are similarly affected by temperature as the Eustigmataceae. The results suggest that LCDs may have the potential to be applicable as a palaeotemperature proxy for lacustrine environments, although further calibration work is still required.

Development and evaluation of an electronic drug and therapeutics bulletin.

PubMed

Alderman, Christopher P

2002-10-01

To describe the development, implementation, and initial evaluation of a paperless drug and therapeutics bulletin that is distributed by electronic mail from the pharmacy department of an Australian teaching hospital. A standardized format for the bulletin was designed and approved in February 2001. The aim of the bulletin is to facilitate the timely dissemination of concise, factual information about issues of current interest in therapeutics, drug safety, and the cost-effective use of medicines. A simple and attractive graphic design was chosen, and the hospital's clinical pharmacists and drug information staff developed an initial bank of content during the period immediately preceding the launch. The bulletin is presented as a 1-page, read-only file in Word for Windows format and was initially distributed by electronic mail to all users of the hospital's computerized communication network. As the popularity of the bulletin increased, healthcare practitioners from outside of the hospital began to request permission for inclusion on the circulation list, and the content was frequently forwarded by E-mail to workers in other hospitals and community-based settings. The bulletin is now distributed to pharmacists around Australia via 2 separate moderated discussion lists, one of which provides an archive site for previous editions. Healthcare workers in Singapore, the US, Canada, and New Zealand also receive the bulletin, which is now also abstracted by a major Australian pharmacy journal. A readership survey (also electronically distributed) was used to seek feedback after the publication of the first 12 editions. Readers indicated a high level of satisfaction with the content, format, and frequency of distribution of the materials. Although the concept and execution of this project was relatively simple, an extensive literature review did not reveal any previously published reports describing this type of approach to the distribution of a pharmacy bulletin. The development and implementation of the electronic drug and therapeutics bulletin has provided an opportunity to use modern communication technology to promote safe and effective medication use and appears to have been well received.

A new macroseismic intensity prediction equation and magnitude estimates of the 1811-1812 New Madrid and 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, O. S.; Cramer, C. H.

2013-12-01

We develop an intensity prediction equation (IPE) for the Central and Eastern United States, explore differences between modified Mercalli intensities (MMI) and community internet intensities (CII) and the propensity for reporting, and estimate the moment magnitudes of the 1811-1812 New Madrid, MO, and 1886 Charleston, SC, earthquakes. We constrain the study with North American census data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration MMI dataset (responses between 1924 and 1985), and the USGS ';Did You Feel It?' CII dataset (responses between June, 2000 and August, 2012). The combined intensity dataset has more than 500,000 felt reports for 517 earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.5 and 7.2. The IPE has the basic form, MMI=c1+c2M+c3exp(λ)+c4λ. where M is moment magnitude and λ is mean log hypocentral distance. Previous IPEs use a limited dataset of MMI, do not differentiate between MMI and CII data in the CEUS, nor account for spatial variations in population. These factors can have an impact at all magnitudes, especially the last factor at large magnitudes and small intensities where the population drops to zero in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. We assume that the number of reports of a given intensity have hypocentral distances that are log-normally distributed, the distribution of which is modulated by population and the propensity for individuals to report their experience. We do not account for variations in stress drop, regional variations in Q, or distance-dependent geometrical spreading. We simulate the distribution of reports of a given intensity accounting for population and use a grid search method to solve for the fraction of population to report the intensity, the standard deviation of the log-normal distribution and the mean log hypocentral distance, which appears in the above equation. We find that lower intensities, both CII and MMI, are less likely to be reported than greater intensities. Further, there are strong spatial variations in the level of CII reporting. For example, large metropolitan areas appear to have a lower level of reporting relative to rural areas. In general, we find that intensities decrease with increasing distance and decreasing magnitude, as expected. Coefficients for the IPE are c1=1.98×0.13 c2=1.76×0.02 c3=-0.0027×0.0004, and c4=-1.26×0.03. We find significant differences in mean log hypocentral distance between MMI- and CII-based reporting, particularly at smaller mean log distance and higher intensity. Values of mean log distance for CII at high intensity tend to be smaller than for MMI at the same value of intensity. The new IPE leads to magnitude estimates for the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes that are within the broad range of those determined previously. Using three MMI datasets for the New Madrid mainshocks, the new relation results in estimates for the moment magnitudes of the December 16th, 1811, January 23rd, 1812, and February 7th, 1812 mainshocks and December 16th dawn aftershock of 7.1¬¬-7.4, 7.2, 7.5-7.7, and 6.7-7.2, respectively, with a magnitude uncertainty of about ×0.4 units. We estimate a magnitude of 7.0×0.3 for the 1886 Charleston, SC earthquake.

Biomonitoring perfluorinated compounds in Catalonia, Spain: concentrations and trends in human liver and milk samples.

PubMed

Kärrman, Anna; Domingo, José L; Llebaria, Xavier; Nadal, Martí; Bigas, Esther; van Bavel, Bert; Lindström, Gunilla

2010-03-01

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are global environmental pollutants that bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans. Laboratory experiments have revealed toxic effects such as delayed development, humoral suppression, and hepatotoxicity. Although numerous human blood levels have been reported, little is known about distribution in the human body. Knowledge about PFC distribution and accumulation in the human body is crucial to understanding uptake and subsequent effects as well as to conduct risk assessments. The present study reports PFC levels in human liver and breast milk from a general population living in Catalonia, Spain. Liver and milk levels are compared to previously reported levels in blood from the same geographic area as well as to other existing reports on human liver and milk levels in other countries. Human liver (n = 12) and milk (n = 10) samples were collected in 2007 and 2008 in Catalonia, Spain. Liver samples were taken postmortem from six males and six females aged 27-79 years. Milk samples were from healthy primipara women (30-39 years old). Both liver and milk were analyzed by solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Six PFCs were detected in liver, with perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS, 26.6 ng/g wet weight) being the chemical with the highest mean concentration. Other PFCs such as perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and acids with chain lengths up to C11 were also detected, with mean levels ranging between 0.50 and 1.45 ng/g wet weight. On the other hand, PFOS and PFHxS were the only PFCs detected in human milk, with mean concentrations of 0.12 and 0.04 ng/mL, respectively. While milk concentrations were similar to reported levels from other countries, liver samples contained more PFCs above quantification limits and higher PFOS concentrations compared to the only two other reports found in the literature. Differences between the results of the present study and those concerning previous investigations can be due to declining levels of some PFCs, which have been reported for the USA. The relationship between PFC concentrations in human liver, milk, and blood was assessed using blood concentrations previously determined in Catalonia. Those levels resulted in liver/serum ratios of 1.7:1, 1.4:1, and 2.1:1 for PFOS, perfluorodecanoic acid, and perfluoroundecanoic acid, respectively. Accumulation in liver is suggested for PFOS and the perfluorocarboxylic acids with carbon chain lengths C9, C10, and C11. For PFOA and PFHxS, fivefold and 14-fold higher concentrations, respectively, were seen in serum as compared to liver. The mean concentration of PFOS and PFHxS in milk was only 0.8% and 0.6% of the reported mean serum level, respectively. The results of the present study show that several PFCs could be detected in human liver samples of subjects living in Tarragona. Concerning human milk, the mechanism by which PFCs are transferred from mother's blood to breast milk is still unclear. Considering that PFCs are strongly bound to the protein fraction in blood, the possibility of PFCs entering the milk and accumulating to levels observed in maternal plasma is limited. Interestingly, the potential accumulation difference for PFCs with different chain lengths might be of great importance for risk assessment. Continuing studies on the distribution of different PFCs in human tissue are therefore justified.

Mapping of enkephalins and adrenocorticotropic hormone in the squirrel monkey brainstem.

PubMed

Duque-Díaz, Ewing; Díaz-Cabiale, Zaida; Narváez, José Angel; Coveñas, Rafael

2017-03-01

An immunocytochemical technique has been used to study for the first time the distribution of fibers and cell bodies containing leucine-enkephalin (leu-enk), methionine-enkephalin (met-enk) or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the whole brainstem of the squirrel monkey Saimiri sciureus. Cell bodies containing leu-enk or met-enk were found in the superior colliculus and the formatio reticularis tegmenti mesencephali, respectively. No immunoreactive cell bodies containing ACTH were observed. Leu-enk-immunoreactive fibers were observed in 40 brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions, fibers containing met-enk were found in 38 brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions and fibers containing ACTH were found in 26 nuclei/tracts/regions. In the latter case, the density of immunoreactive fibers was always low. A high/moderate density of leu-enk- or met-enk-immunoreactive fibers were found in 18 and 16 brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions, respectively. The distribution of immunoreactive fibers containing leu-enk or met-enk was quite similar, with both leu-enk and met-enk observed in 82.5 % of the squirrel monkey brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions. This relationship is less marked for met-enk and ACTH (60.5 %) and even lower for leu-enk and ACTH (52.5 %). In 42.5 % of the nuclei/tracts/regions of the squirrel monkey brainstem (colliculus superior, substantia grisea centralis, nucleus interpeduncularis, nucleus tractus spinalis nervi trigemini, nucleus tractus solitarii, nucleus parabrachialis, formatio reticularis, substantia nigra), we observed fibers containing all three neuropeptides. The widespread distribution reported here suggests that enkephalins and ACTH can be involved in several physiological functions. The distribution of the immunoreactive fibers reported here is quite similar to that previously reported for enkephalins and ACTH in Macaca species and humans.

Environmental DNA reflects spatial and temporal jellyfish distribution

PubMed Central

Fukuda, Miho; Katsuhara, Koki R.; Fujiwara, Ayaka; Hidaka, Shunsuke; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Takahashi, Kohji; Masuda, Reiji

2017-01-01

Recent development of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows us to survey underwater macro-organisms easily and cost effectively; however, there have been no reports on eDNA detection or quantification for jellyfish. Here we present the first report on an eDNA analysis of marine jellyfish using Japanese sea nettle (Chrysaora pacifica) as a model species by combining a tank experiment with spatial and temporal distribution surveys. We performed a tank experiment monitoring eDNA concentrations over a range of time intervals after the introduction of jellyfish, and quantified the eDNA concentrations by quantitative real-time PCR. The eDNA concentrations peaked twice, at 1 and 8 h after the beginning of the experiment, and became stable within 48 h. The estimated release rates of the eDNA in jellyfish were higher than the rates previously reported in fishes. A spatial survey was conducted in June 2014 in Maizuru Bay, Kyoto, in which eDNA was collected from surface water and sea floor water samples at 47 sites while jellyfish near surface water were counted on board by eye. The distribution of eDNA in the bay corresponded with the distribution of jellyfish inferred by visual observation, and the eDNA concentration in the bay was ~13 times higher on the sea floor than on the surface. The temporal survey was conducted from March to November 2014, in which jellyfish were counted by eye every morning while eDNA was collected from surface and sea floor water at three sampling points along a pier once a month. The temporal fluctuation pattern of the eDNA concentrations and the numbers of observed individuals were well correlated. We conclude that an eDNA approach is applicable for jellyfish species in the ocean. PMID:28245277

Distribution and Frequency of Pyrethroid Resistance-Associated Mutations in Host Lineages of the Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Across Europe.

PubMed

Balvín, Ondrej; Booth, Warren

2018-03-15

For over two decades, the bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) has been undergoing a dramatic global resurgence, likely in part to the evolution of mechanisms conferring resistance to insecticides. One such mechanism is knock-down resistance (kdr), resulting from nonsynonymous mutations within the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene. To date, three mutations have been identified in C. lectularius, V419L, L925I, and I936F. Using Sanger sequencing, the frequency and distribution of these VGSC mutations across 131 populations collected from the bat-associated and human-associated lineages of C. lectularius found in Europe are documented. All populations from the bat-associated lineage lacked mutations at the three sites. In contrast, the majority of populations associated with humans (93.5%) possessed the mutation at the L925I site. The I936F mutation, previously only reported in Israel and Australia, was found in nine populations spread across several European countries, including the Czech Republic and Switzerland. The high frequency of kdr-associated resistance already reported in C. lectularius and the occurrence and broad geographic distribution of this additional VGSC mutation, questions the continued use of pyrethroids in the treatment of infestations.

Ion energy distributions and the density of CH3 radicals in a low pressure inductively coupled CH4/H2 plasma used for nanocrystalline diamond deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada, Katsuyuki; Komatsu, Shojiro; Matsumoto, Seiichiro

2003-11-01

Ion energy distributions (IEDs) and the density of CH3 radicals (n) in a 13.56 MHz radio frequency (rf) low pressure inductively coupled CH4/H2 plasma used for nanocrystalline diamond deposition have been investigated with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The energy distributions of positive ions were measured in a CH4/H2 plasma with 50 mTorr of the gas pressure at 500 W of the plasma input power, and were compared with those of an Ar plasma. We have found that the IEDs of Ar+, CH4+, and C2H5+ have a nearly monoenergetic peak, and a hump due to a small degree of capacitive coupling. The plasma potentials obtained from the peaks are consistent with the previously reported values measured with a Langmuir probe. On the other hand, the IEDs of H+, H2+, and H3+ have a clear asymmetric double peak due to the modulation of rf driven glow discharge. The n monotonously increases with increasing pressure. The n indicates that CH3 radicals are main precursors for the growth of nanocrystalline diamond. The estimated sticking coefficient of the CH3 radical is comparable with the reported value.

Score distributions of gapped multiple sequence alignments down to the low-probability tail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fieth, Pascal; Hartmann, Alexander K.

2016-08-01

Assessing the significance of alignment scores of optimally aligned DNA or amino acid sequences can be achieved via the knowledge of the score distribution of random sequences. But this requires obtaining the distribution in the biologically relevant high-scoring region, where the probabilities are exponentially small. For gapless local alignments of infinitely long sequences this distribution is known analytically to follow a Gumbel distribution. Distributions for gapped local alignments and global alignments of finite lengths can only be obtained numerically. To obtain result for the small-probability region, specific statistical mechanics-based rare-event algorithms can be applied. In previous studies, this was achieved for pairwise alignments. They showed that, contrary to results from previous simple sampling studies, strong deviations from the Gumbel distribution occur in case of finite sequence lengths. Here we extend the studies to multiple sequence alignments with gaps, which are much more relevant for practical applications in molecular biology. We study the distributions of scores over a large range of the support, reaching probabilities as small as 10-160, for global and local (sum-of-pair scores) multiple alignments. We find that even after suitable rescaling, eliminating the sequence-length dependence, the distributions for multiple alignment differ from the pairwise alignment case. Furthermore, we also show that the previously discussed Gaussian correction to the Gumbel distribution needs to be refined, also for the case of pairwise alignments.

Detection of serotype k Streptococcus mutans in Thai subjects.

PubMed

Lapirattanakul, J; Nakano, K; Nomura, R; Nemoto, H; Kojima, A; Senawongse, P; Srisatjaluk, R; Ooshima, T

2009-10-01

Streptococcus mutans, known to be a pathogen of dental caries as well as bacteremia and infective endocarditis, is classified into four serotypes, c, e, f and k, based on the structures of serotype-specific polysaccharides. Serotype k was recently designated using blood isolates from Japanese subjects and such strains are considered to be virulent in the bloodstream. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the serotype distribution of strains isolated from Thai subjects and determine whether serotype k strains were present. A total of 250 S. mutans strains were isolated from 50 Thai subjects, and serotypes of all strains were determined. Then, molecular and biological analyses were carried out for serotype k strains. Immunodiffusion and polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that serotype c was the most prevalent (70%), followed by serotypes e (22.8%), f (4.4%) and k (2.8%), which indicated that serotype k S. mutans strains occurred in Thai individuals at a similar rate to that previously reported for Japanese and Finnish populations. Molecular analyses of the seven serotype k strains showed extremely low expression of rgpE, which is related to glucose side-chain formation in serotype-specific rhamnose-glucose polymers, similar to previous reports for those other populations. In addition, analysis of the biological properties of the seven serotype k strains demonstrated low levels of sucrose-dependent adhesion, cellular hydrophobicity, dextran-binding activity and phagocytosis susceptibility by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, which are characteristics similar to those of serotype k strains previously isolated in Japan. Our results indicate the possibility of a worldwide prevalence of serotype k strains with properties in common with those of previously reported strains.

Pharmacokinetics of Doxorubicin in Pregnant Women

PubMed Central

Ryu, Rachel J.; Eyal, Sara; Kaplan, Henry G.; Akbarzadeh, Arezoo; Hays, Karen; Puhl, Kristin; Easterling, Thomas R.; Berg, Stacey L.; Scorsone, Kathleen A.; Feldman, Eric M.; Umans, Jason G.; Miodovnik, Menachem; Hebert, Mary F.

2014-01-01

Purpose Our objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of doxorubicin during pregnancy compared to previously published data from non-pregnant subjects. Methods During mid- to late-pregnancy, serial blood and urine samples were collected over 72 hours from 7 women treated with doxorubicin for malignancies. PK parameters were estimated using noncompartmental techniques. Pregnancy parameters were compared to those previously reported non-pregnant subjects. Results During pregnancy, mean (± SD) doxorubicin PK parameters utilizing 72 hour sampling were: clearance (CL), 412 ± 80 mL/min/m2; steady-state volume of distribution (Vss), 1132 ± 476 L/m2; and terminal half-life (T1/2), 40.3 ± 8.9 hr. The BSA-adjusted CL was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) and T1/2 was not different compared to non-pregnant women. Truncating our data to 48 hours, PK parameters were: CL, 499 ± 116 ml/min/m2; Vss, 843 ± 391 L/m2; and T1/2, 24.8 ± 5.9 hr. The BSA-adjusted CL in pregnancy compared to non-pregnant data was significantly decreased in 2 of 3 non-pregnant studies (p < 0.05, < 0.05, NS). Vss and T1/2 were not significantly different. Conclusions In pregnant subjects, we observed significantly lower doxorubicin CL in our 72 hour and most of our 48 hour sampling comparisons with previously reported non-pregnant subjects. However, the parameters were within the range previously reported in smaller studies. At this time, we cannot recommend alternate dosage strategies for pregnant women. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism of doxorubicin pharmacokinetic changes during pregnancy and optimize care for pregnant women. PMID:24531558

Prevalence of asthma in regional Victorian schoolchildren.

PubMed

Robertson, C F; Bishop, J; Dalton, M; Caust, J; Nolan, T M; Olinsky, A; Phelan, P D

1992-06-15

To determine whether the high prevalence of reported asthma in Melbourne schoolchildren is seen in rural Victoria. A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was distributed to children to be completed by parents and returned to the school. Results were compared with a previous Melbourne study. Two hundred and twenty-seven government and non-government primary schools in five rural regions of Victoria: coast, wheatbelt, riverland, highland and Latrobe valley. All children enrolled in grade 2 were invited to join the study. Parents completed questionnaires for 4661 children after 4886 questionnaires were distributed (response rate, 95%). History of wheeze in the past 12 months. The overall prevalence of wheeze in the last 12 months was 23.6%. There was a significant difference overall in this rate across the five rural areas and Melbourne, with the Latrobe Valley (26.2%) and highland areas (25.0%) having the highest rate, and the wheatbelt the lowest (19.6%). The spectrum of severity of asthma was similarly distributed across rural regions, although severe episodes were significantly more frequently reported by parents from rural areas than by parents in Melbourne. The reported use of bronchodilators and diagnosis of asthma showed a similar pattern of variation to that of the 12-month prevalence of wheeze. The prevalence of asthma in 7-year-old children is similar for rural Victoria as a whole compared with Melbourne, but there is variability in asthma prevalence in individual rural areas which is difficult to account for in terms of known environmental precipitants.

Identification of Veillonella Species in the Tongue Biofilm by Using a Novel One-Step Polymerase Chain Reaction Method

PubMed Central

Mashima, Izumi; Theodorea, Citra Fragrantia; Thaweboon, Boonyanit; Thaweboon, Sroisiri; Nakazawa, Futoshi

2016-01-01

Six Veillonella species have been frequently isolated from human oral cavities including infectious sites. Recently, it was reported that diet, smoking, and possibly socioeconomic status can influence the bacterial profile in oral cavities. In addition, oral hygiene habits may also influence oral microbiota in terms of both numbers and diversity of microorganisms. In this study, the identification of Veillonella species in tongue biofilms of Thai children, divided into three groups dependent on their status of oral hygiene. For this, we used a novel one-step PCR method with species-specific primer sets based on sequences of the rpoB gene. As shown in the results, the number of isolates of Veillonella species was 101 strains from only 10 of 89 subjects. However, the total number of bacteria was high for all subjects. Since it was reported in previous studies that Veillonella species were easy to isolate in human tongue biofilms at high numbers, the results obtained in this study may suggest country- or age-specific differences. Moreover, Veillonella species were detected predominantly in subjects who had poor oral hygiene compared to those with good or moderate oral hygiene. From these results, there is a possibility that Veillonella species may be an index of oral hygiene status. Furthermore, V. rogosae was a predominant species in tongue biofilms of Thai children, whereas V. parvula and V. denticariosi were not isolated at all. These characteristics of the distribution and frequency of Veillonella species are similar to those reported in previous studies. Although further studies are needed in other countries, in this study, a successful novel one-step PCR method was established to detect Veillonella species in human oral cavities easily and effectively. Furthermore, this is the first report investigating the distribution and frequency of Veillonella species in tongue biofilms of Thai children. PMID:27326455

Phylogeographic analyses of the pampas cat (Leopardus colocola; Carnivora, Felidae) reveal a complex demographic history

PubMed Central

da Silva Santos, Anelisie; Trigo, Tatiane Campos; de Oliveira, Tadeu Gomes; Silveira, Leandro

2018-01-01

Abstract The pampas cat is a small felid that occurs in open habitats throughout much of South America. Previous studies have revealed intriguing patterns of morphological differentiation and genetic structure among its populations, as well as molecular evidence for hybridization with the closely related L. tigrinus. Here we report phylogeographic analyses encompassing most of its distribution (focusing particularly on Brazilian specimens, which had been poorly sampled in previous studies), using a novel dataset comprising 2,143 bp of the mitogenome, along with previously reported mtDNA sequences. Our data revealed strong population strutucture and supported a west-to-east colonization process in this species’ history. We detected two population expansion events, one older (ca. 200 thousand years ago [kya]) in western South America and another more recent (ca. 60-50 kya) in eastern areas, coinciding with the expansion of savanna environments in Brazil. Analyses including L. tigrinus individuals bearing introgressed mtDNA from L. colocola showed a complete lack of shared haplotypes between species, indicating that their hybridization was ancient. Finally, we observed a close relationship between Brazilian/Uruguayan L. colocola haplotypes and those sampled in L. tigrinus, indicating that their hybridization was likely related to the demographic expansion of L. colocola into eastern South America. PMID:29668017

Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis of Myopia and Hyperopia Provides Evidence for Replication of 11 Loci

PubMed Central

Simpson, Claire L.; Wojciechowski, Robert; Oexle, Konrad; Murgia, Federico; Portas, Laura; Li, Xiaohui; Verhoeven, Virginie J. M.; Vitart, Veronique; Schache, Maria; Hosseini, S. Mohsen; Hysi, Pirro G.; Raffel, Leslie J.; Cotch, Mary Frances; Chew, Emily; Klein, Barbara E. K.; Klein, Ronald; Wong, Tien Yin; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Mitchell, Paul; Saw, Seang Mei; Fossarello, Maurizio; Wang, Jie Jin; Polašek, Ozren; Campbell, Harry; Rudan, Igor; Oostra, Ben A.; Uitterlinden, André G.; Hofman, Albert; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Amin, Najaf; Karssen, Lennart C.; Vingerling, Johannes R.; Döring, Angela; Bettecken, Thomas; Bencic, Goran; Gieger, Christian; Wichmann, H.-Erich; Wilson, James F.; Venturini, Cristina; Fleck, Brian; Cumberland, Phillippa M.; Rahi, Jugnoo S.; Hammond, Chris J.; Hayward, Caroline; Wright, Alan F.; Paterson, Andrew D.; Baird, Paul N.; Klaver, Caroline C. W.; Rotter, Jerome I.; Pirastu, Mario; Meitinger, Thomas; Bailey-Wilson, Joan E.; Stambolian, Dwight

2014-01-01

Refractive error (RE) is a complex, multifactorial disorder characterized by a mismatch between the optical power of the eye and its axial length that causes object images to be focused off the retina. The two major subtypes of RE are myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness), which represent opposite ends of the distribution of the quantitative measure of spherical refraction. We performed a fixed effects meta-analysis of genome-wide association results of myopia and hyperopia from 9 studies of European-derived populations: AREDS, KORA, FES, OGP-Talana, MESA, RSI, RSII, RSIII and ERF. One genome-wide significant region was observed for myopia, corresponding to a previously identified myopia locus on 8q12 (p = 1.25×10−8), which has been reported by Kiefer et al. as significantly associated with myopia age at onset and Verhoeven et al. as significantly associated to mean spherical-equivalent (MSE) refractive error. We observed two genome-wide significant associations with hyperopia. These regions overlapped with loci on 15q14 (minimum p value = 9.11×10−11) and 8q12 (minimum p value 1.82×10−11) previously reported for MSE and myopia age at onset. We also used an intermarker linkage- disequilibrium-based method for calculating the effective number of tests in targeted regional replication analyses. We analyzed myopia (which represents the closest phenotype in our data to the one used by Kiefer et al.) and showed replication of 10 additional loci associated with myopia previously reported by Kiefer et al. This is the first replication of these loci using myopia as the trait under analysis. “Replication-level” association was also seen between hyperopia and 12 of Kiefer et al.'s published loci. For the loci that show evidence of association to both myopia and hyperopia, the estimated effect of the risk alleles were in opposite directions for the two traits. This suggests that these loci are important contributors to variation of refractive error across the distribution. PMID:25233373

Genome-wide meta-analysis of myopia and hyperopia provides evidence for replication of 11 loci.

PubMed

Simpson, Claire L; Wojciechowski, Robert; Oexle, Konrad; Murgia, Federico; Portas, Laura; Li, Xiaohui; Verhoeven, Virginie J M; Vitart, Veronique; Schache, Maria; Hosseini, S Mohsen; Hysi, Pirro G; Raffel, Leslie J; Cotch, Mary Frances; Chew, Emily; Klein, Barbara E K; Klein, Ronald; Wong, Tien Yin; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Mitchell, Paul; Saw, Seang Mei; Fossarello, Maurizio; Wang, Jie Jin; Polašek, Ozren; Campbell, Harry; Rudan, Igor; Oostra, Ben A; Uitterlinden, André G; Hofman, Albert; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Amin, Najaf; Karssen, Lennart C; Vingerling, Johannes R; Döring, Angela; Bettecken, Thomas; Bencic, Goran; Gieger, Christian; Wichmann, H-Erich; Wilson, James F; Venturini, Cristina; Fleck, Brian; Cumberland, Phillippa M; Rahi, Jugnoo S; Hammond, Chris J; Hayward, Caroline; Wright, Alan F; Paterson, Andrew D; Baird, Paul N; Klaver, Caroline C W; Rotter, Jerome I; Pirastu, Mario; Meitinger, Thomas; Bailey-Wilson, Joan E; Stambolian, Dwight

2014-01-01

Refractive error (RE) is a complex, multifactorial disorder characterized by a mismatch between the optical power of the eye and its axial length that causes object images to be focused off the retina. The two major subtypes of RE are myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness), which represent opposite ends of the distribution of the quantitative measure of spherical refraction. We performed a fixed effects meta-analysis of genome-wide association results of myopia and hyperopia from 9 studies of European-derived populations: AREDS, KORA, FES, OGP-Talana, MESA, RSI, RSII, RSIII and ERF. One genome-wide significant region was observed for myopia, corresponding to a previously identified myopia locus on 8q12 (p = 1.25×10(-8)), which has been reported by Kiefer et al. as significantly associated with myopia age at onset and Verhoeven et al. as significantly associated to mean spherical-equivalent (MSE) refractive error. We observed two genome-wide significant associations with hyperopia. These regions overlapped with loci on 15q14 (minimum p value = 9.11×10(-11)) and 8q12 (minimum p value 1.82×10(-11)) previously reported for MSE and myopia age at onset. We also used an intermarker linkage- disequilibrium-based method for calculating the effective number of tests in targeted regional replication analyses. We analyzed myopia (which represents the closest phenotype in our data to the one used by Kiefer et al.) and showed replication of 10 additional loci associated with myopia previously reported by Kiefer et al. This is the first replication of these loci using myopia as the trait under analysis. "Replication-level" association was also seen between hyperopia and 12 of Kiefer et al.'s published loci. For the loci that show evidence of association to both myopia and hyperopia, the estimated effect of the risk alleles were in opposite directions for the two traits. This suggests that these loci are important contributors to variation of refractive error across the distribution.

Physical characteristics of dungeness crab and halibut habitats in Glacier Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cochrane, Guy R.; Carlson, Paul R.; Denny, Jane F.; Boyle, Michael E.; Taggart, S. James; Hooge, Philip N.

1998-01-01

In Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska there are ongoing studies of Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister) and Pacific Halibut (Hippoglosus stenolepis). Scientists of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are attempting to ascertain life history, distribution, and abundance, and to determine the effects of commercial fishing in the park (Carlson et al., 1998). Statistical sampling studies suggest that seafloor characteristics and bathymetry affect the distribution, abundance and behavior of benthic species. Examples include the distribution of Dungeness crab which varies from 78 to 2012 crabs/ha in nearshore areas to depths of 18 m (O'Clair et al., 1995), and changes in halibut foraging behavior according to bottom type (Chilton et al., 1995). This report discusses geophysical data collected in six areas within the park in 1998. The geophysical surveying done in this and previous studies will be combined with existing population and sonic-tracking data sets as well as future sediment sampling, scuba, submersible, and bottom video camera observations to better understand Dungeness crab and Pacific halibut habitat relationships.

Physical characteristics of dungeness crab and halibut habitats in Whidbey Passage, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cochrane, Guy R.; Carlson, Paul R.; Boyle, Michael E.; Gabel, Gregory L.; Hooge, Philip N.

2000-01-01

In Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska there are ongoing studies of Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister) and Pacific Halibut (Hippoglosus stenolepis). Scientists of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are attempting to ascertain life history, distribution, and abundance, and to determine the effects of commercial fishing in the park (Carlson et al., 1998). Statistical sampling studies suggest that seafloor characteristics and bathymetry affect the distribution, abundance and behavior of benthic species. Examples include the distribution of Dungeness crab which varies from 78 to 2012 crabs/ha in nearshore areas to depths of 18 m (O'Clair et al., 1995), and changes in halibut foraging behavior according to bottom type (Chilton et al., 1995). This report discusses geophysical data collected within the park in 1998. The geophysical surveying done in this and previous studies will be combined with existing population and sonic-tracking data sets as well as future sediment sampling, scuba, submersible, and bottom video camera observations to better understand Dungeness crab and Pacific halibut habitat relationships.

Matrix-free mass spectrometric imaging using laser desorption ionisation Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Goodwin, Richard J A; Pitt, Andrew R; Harrison, David; Weidt, Stefan K; Langridge-Smith, Pat R R; Barrett, Michael P; Logan Mackay, C

2011-04-15

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful tool in metabolomics and proteomics for the spatial localization and identification of pharmaceuticals, metabolites, lipids, peptides and proteins in biological tissues. However, sample preparation remains a crucial variable in obtaining the most accurate distributions. Common washing steps used to remove salts, and solvent-based matrix application, allow analyte spreading to occur. Solvent-free matrix applications can reduce this risk, but increase the possibility of ionisation bias due to matrix adhesion to tissue sections. We report here the use of matrix-free MSI using laser desorption ionisation performed on a 12 T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. We used unprocessed tissue with no post-processing following thaw-mounting on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation (MALDI) indium-tin oxide (ITO) target plates. The identification and distribution of a range of phospholipids in mouse brain and kidney sections are presented and compared with previously published MALDI time-of-flight (TOF) MSI distributions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Potassium map from Chang'E-2 constraints the impact of Crisium and Orientale basin on the Moon.

PubMed

Zhu, Meng-Hua; Chang, Jin; Ma, Tao; Ip, Wing-Huen; Fa, WenZhe; Wu, Jian; Cai, MingSheng; Gong, YiZhong; Hu, YiMing; Xu, AoAo; Tang, ZeSheng

2013-01-01

KREEP materials were thought to be last crystallized at the lunar crust and mantle boundary. Impact cratering and volcanism are mainly responsible for their distributions on the lunar surface. Therefore, observation of global KREEP materials and investigation of distributions in the areas of large basins are of critical importance to understand the geologic history of the Moon. Here we report the new global potassium distribution on the Moon detected by Chang'E-2 Gamma-ray Spectrometer. We found that our new measurements are in general agreement with previous observation. A new finding and an important difference is that relatively higher K abundances in the Mare Crisium and Mare Orientale than their surrounding rims were detected for the first time. In light of our observations in these two areas, we propose that Crisium and Orientale basin-forming impact events may have penetrated to the lower crust and excavate the deeper materials to the lunar surface.

Synthesis of uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocombs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altintas Yildirim, Ozlem; Liu, Yuzi; Petford-Long, Amanda K.

Uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomb structures have been prepared by a vapor-liquid-solid technique from a mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanoplatelets. The ZnO seed nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple precipitation method. The structure of the ZnO nanocombs could easily be controlled by tuning the carrier-gas flow rate during growth. Higher flow rate resulted in the formation of uniformly-distributed single-sided comb structures with nanonail-shaped teeth, as a result of the self-catalysis effect of the catalytically active Zn-terminated polar (0001) surface. Lower gas flow rate was favorable for production of double-sided comb structures with the twomore » sets of teeth at an angle of similar to 110 degrees to each other along the comb ribbon, which was attributed to the formation of a bicrystal nanocomb ribbon. Lastly, the formation of such a double-sided structure with nanonail-shaped teeth has not previously been reported.« less

Synthesis of uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocombs

DOE PAGES

Altintas Yildirim, Ozlem; Liu, Yuzi; Petford-Long, Amanda K.

2015-08-21

Uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomb structures have been prepared by a vapor-liquid-solid technique from a mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanoplatelets. The ZnO seed nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple precipitation method. The structure of the ZnO nanocombs could easily be controlled by tuning the carrier-gas flow rate during growth. Higher flow rate resulted in the formation of uniformly-distributed single-sided comb structures with nanonail-shaped teeth, as a result of the self-catalysis effect of the catalytically active Zn-terminated polar (0001) surface. Lower gas flow rate was favorable for production of double-sided comb structures with the twomore » sets of teeth at an angle of similar to 110 degrees to each other along the comb ribbon, which was attributed to the formation of a bicrystal nanocomb ribbon. Lastly, the formation of such a double-sided structure with nanonail-shaped teeth has not previously been reported.« less

A Process and Outcomes Evaluation of the International AIDS Conference: Who Attends? Who Benefits Most?

PubMed Central

Lalonde, Bernadette; Wolvaardt, Jacqueline E.; Webb, Elize M; Tournas-Hardt, Amy

2007-01-01

The objective of the study was to conduct a process and outcomes evaluation of the International AIDS Conference (IAC). Reaction evaluation data are presented from a delegate survey distributed at the 2004 IAC held in Thailand. Input and output data from the Thailand IAC are compared to data from previous IACs to ascertain attendance and reaction trends, which delegates benefit most, and host country effects. Outcomes effectiveness data were collected via a survey and intercept interviews. Data suggest that the host country may significantly affect the number and quality of basic science IAC presentations, who attends, and who benefits most. Intended and executed HIV work-related behavior change was assessed under 9 classifications. Delegates who attended 1 previous IAC were more likely to report behavior changes than attendees who attended more than 1 previous IAC. The conference needs to be continually evaluated to elicit the required data to plan effective future IACs. PMID:17435615

Ancient Laurentian detrital zircon in the closing Iapetus Ocean, Southern Uplands terrane, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldron, John W. F.; Floyd, James D.; Simonetti, Antonio; Heaman, Larry M.

2008-07-01

Early Paleozoic sandstones in the Southern Uplands terrane ofScotland were deposited during closure of the Iapetus Oceanbetween Laurentia and Avalonia. Their tectonic setting and sourcesare controversial, and different authors have supported subduction-accretion,extensional continental-margin development, or back-arc basinsettings. We report new U-Pb detrital zircon ages from fiveLate Ordovician sandstones from the Northern Belt of the SouthernUplands and test models of their tectonic setting. The U-Pbzircon age distributions are dominated by peaks characteristicof sources in Laurentia and include grains as old as 3.6 Ga,older than any previously recorded in the British CaledonidesSE of the Laurentian foreland. Discordant grains in one samplesuggest derivation via erosion of metasedimentary rocks incorporatedin the Grampian-Taconian orogen. Rare Neoproterozoic grains,previously interpreted as originating from a peri-Gondwananterrane, may be derived from igneous rocks associated with Iapetanrifting. Only rare zircons are contemporary with the depositionalages. The results are difficult to reconcile with extensionalcontinental-margin and back-arc models, but they support anactive continental-margin subduction-accretion model. Closesimilarities with distributions from the Newfoundland Appalachiansare consistent with sinistral transpression during closing ofthe Iapetus Ocean.

Kinetic modelling of a diesel-polluted clayey soil bioremediation process.

PubMed

Fernández, Engracia Lacasa; Merlo, Elena Moliterni; Mayor, Lourdes Rodríguez; Camacho, José Villaseñor

2016-07-01

A mathematical model is proposed to describe a diesel-polluted clayey soil bioremediation process. The reaction system under study was considered a completely mixed closed batch reactor, which initially contacted a soil matrix polluted with diesel hydrocarbons, an aqueous liquid-specific culture medium and a microbial inoculation. The model coupled the mass transfer phenomena and the distribution of hydrocarbons among four phases (solid, S; water, A; non-aqueous liquid, NAPL; and air, V) with Monod kinetics. In the first step, the model simulating abiotic conditions was used to estimate only the mass transfer coefficients. In the second step, the model including both mass transfer and biodegradation phenomena was used to estimate the biological kinetic and stoichiometric parameters. In both situations, the model predictions were validated with experimental data that corresponded to previous research by the same authors. A correct fit between the model predictions and the experimental data was observed because the modelling curves captured the major trends for the diesel distribution in each phase. The model parameters were compared to different previously reported values found in the literature. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to show the reproducibility level of the model. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Perceiving while producing: Modeling the dynamics of phonological planning

PubMed Central

Roon, Kevin D.; Gafos, Adamantios I.

2016-01-01

We offer a dynamical model of phonological planning that provides a formal instantiation of how the speech production and perception systems interact during online processing. The model is developed on the basis of evidence from an experimental task that requires concurrent use of both systems, the so-called response-distractor task in which speakers hear distractor syllables while they are preparing to produce required responses. The model formalizes how ongoing response planning is affected by perception and accounts for a range of results reported across previous studies. It does so by explicitly addressing the setting of parameter values in representations. The key unit of the model is that of the dynamic field, a distribution of activation over the range of values associated with each representational parameter. The setting of parameter values takes place by the attainment of a stable distribution of activation over the entire field, stable in the sense that it persists even after the response cue in the above experiments has been removed. This and other properties of representations that have been taken as axiomatic in previous work are derived by the dynamics of the proposed model. PMID:27440947

Planetesimal-driven planet migration in the presence of a gas disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capobianco, Christopher C.; Duncan, Martin; Levison, Harold F.

2011-01-01

We report here on an extension of a previous study by Kirsh et al. (Kirsh, D.R., Duncan, M., Brasser, R., Levison, H.F. [2009]. Icarus 199, 197-209) of planetesimal-driven migration using our N-body code SyMBA (Duncan, M.J., Levison, H.F., Lee, M.H. [1998]. Astron. J. 116, 2067-2077). The previous work focused on the case of a single planet of mass Mem, immersed in a planetesimal disk with a power-law surface density distribution and Rayleigh distributed eccentricities and inclinations. Typically 10 4-10 5 equal-mass planetesimals were used, where the gravitational force (and the back-reaction) on each planetesimal by the Sun and planet were included, while planetesimal-planetesimal interactions were neglected. The runs reported on here incorporate the dynamical effects of a gas disk, where the Adachi et al. (Adachi, I., Hayashi, C., Nakazawa, K. [1976]. Prog. Theor. Phys. 56, 1756-1771) prescription of aerodynamic gas drag is implemented for all bodies. In some cases the Papaloizou and Larwood (Papaloizou, J.C.B., Larwood, J.D. [2000]. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 315, 823-833) prescription of Type-I migration for the planet are implemented, as well as a mass distribution. In the gas-free cases, rapid planet migration was observed - at a rate independent of the planet's mass - provided the planet's mass was not large compared to the mass in planetesimals capable of entering its Hill sphere. In such cases, both inward and outward migrations can be self-sustaining, but there is a strong propensity for inward migration. When a gas disk is present, aerodynamic drag can substantially modify the dynamics of scattered planetesimals. For sufficiently large or small mono-dispersed planetesimals, the planet typically migrates inward. However, for a range of plausible planetesimal sizes (i.e. 0.5-5.0 km at 5.0 AU in a minimum mass Hayashi disk) outward migration is usually triggered, often accompanied by substantial planetary mass accretion. The origins of this behaviour are explained in terms of a toy model. The effects of including a size distribution and torques associated with Type-I migration are also discussed.

Study of the impact of artificial articulations on the dose distribution under medical irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffard, E.; Gschwind, R.; Makovicka, L.; Martin, E.; Meunier, C.; David, C.

2005-02-01

Perturbations due to the presence of high density heterogeneities in the body are not correctly taken into account in the Treatment Planning Systems currently available for external radiotherapy. For this reason, the accuracy of the dose distribution calculations has to be improved by using Monte Carlo simulations. In a previous study, we established a theoretical model by using the Monte Carlo code EGSnrc [I. Kawrakow, D.W.O. Rogers, The EGSnrc code system: MC simulation of electron and photon transport. Technical Report PIRS-701, NRCC, Ottawa, Canada, 2000] in order to obtain the dose distributions around simple heterogeneities. These simulations were then validated by experimental results obtained with thermoluminescent dosemeters and an ionisation chamber. The influence of samples composed of hip prostheses materials (titanium alloy and steel) and a substitute of bone were notably studied. A more complex model was then developed with the Monte Carlo code BEAMnrc [D.W.O. Rogers, C.M. MA, G.X. Ding, B. Walters, D. Sheikh-Bagheri, G.G. Zhang, BEAMnrc Users Manual. NRC Report PPIRS 509(a) rev F, 2001] in order to take into account the hip prosthesis geometry. The simulation results were compared to experimental measurements performed in a water phantom, in the case of a standard treatment of a pelvic cancer for one of the beams passing through the implant. These results have shown the great influence of the prostheses on the dose distribution.

Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 2. Technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, R.W.; Fargion, G.S.

1996-05-24

The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. This volume summarizes the results of the study. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

Spectral characterization of Martian soil analogues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agresti, David G.

1987-01-01

As previously reported, reflectance spectra of iron oxide precipitated as ultrafine particles, unlike ordinary fine grained hematite, have significant similarities to reflectance spectra from the bright regions of Mars. These particles were characterized according to composition, magnetic properties, and particle size distribution. Mossbauer, magnetic susceptibility, and optical data were obtained for samples with a range of concentrations of iron oxide in silica gel of varying pore diameters. To analyze the Mossbauer spectra, a versatile fitting program was enhanced to provide user friendly screen input and theoretical models appropriate for the superparamagnetic spectra obtained.

Electron-positron momentum distribution measurements of high-T superconductors and related systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachs, A. L.; Turchi, P. E. A.; Howell, R. J.; Jean, Y. C.; Fluss, M. J.; West, R. N.; Kaiser, J. H.; Rayner, S.; Hahgighi, H.; Merkle, K. L.

1989-08-01

Measurements are discussed of the 2-D angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (ACAR) in La2CuO4, YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO), and NiO. The measurements for NiO are the first such 2-D ACAR measurements; the YBCO results are of a higher statistical quality than previously reported in the literature. The data are compared with complementary theoretical calculations and with each other. The implication is discussed of the analysis for ACAR studies of similar and related systems.

Sonic horizon formation for oscillating Bose-Einstein condensates in isotropic harmonic potential

PubMed Central

Wang, Ying; Zhou, Yu; Zhou, Shuyu

2016-01-01

We study the sonic horizon phenomena of the oscillating Bose-Einstein condensates in isotropic harmonic potential. Based on the Gross-Pitaevskii equation model and variational method, we derive the original analytical formula for the criteria and lifetime of the formation of the sonic horizon, demonstrating pictorially the interaction parameter dependence for the occur- rence of the sonic horizon and damping effect of the system distribution width. Our analytical results corroborate quantitatively the particular features of the sonic horizon reported in previous numerical study. PMID:27922129

Inventory of Shale Formations in the US, Including Geologic, Hydrological, and Mechanical Characteristics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dobson, Patrick; Houseworth, James

2013-11-22

The objective of this report is to build upon previous compilations of shale formations within many of the major sedimentary basins in the US by developing GIS data delineating isopach and structural depth maps for many of these units. These data are being incorporated into the LANL digital GIS database being developed for determining host rock distribution and depth/thickness parameters consistent with repository design. Methods were developed to assess hydrological and geomechanical properties and conditions for shale formations based on sonic velocity measurements.

Suppression of MHD fluctuations leading to improved confinement in a gun-driven spheromak.

PubMed

McLean, H S; Woodruff, S; Hooper, E B; Bulmer, R H; Hill, D N; Holcomb, C; Moller, J; Stallard, B W; Wood, R D; Wang, Z

2002-03-25

Magnetic fluctuations have been reduced to approximately 1% during discharges on the Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment by shaping the spatial distribution of the bias magnetic flux in the device. In the resulting quiescent regime, the safety factor profile is nearly flat in the plasma and the dominant ideal and resistive MHD modes are greatly reduced. During this period, the temperature profile is peaked at the magnetic axis and maps onto magnetic flux contours. Energy confinement time is improved over previous reports in a driven spheromak.

Dynamical Simulations of HD 69830

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, Matthew J.; Ford, Eric B.; Wyatt, Mark C.; Booth, Mark

2009-02-01

Previous studies have developed models for the growth and migration of three planets orbiting HD 69830. We perform n-body simulations using MERCURY (Chambers 1999) to explore the implications of these models for: 1) the excitation of planetary orbits via planet-planet interactions, 2) the accretion and clearing of a putative planetesimal disk, 3) the distribution of planetesimal orbits following migration, and 4) the implications for the origin of the observed infrared emission from the HD 69830 system. We report preliminary results that suggest new constraints on the formation of HD 69830.

Rediscovery of the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) in Yingjiang County,Yunnan Province,China.

PubMed

Li, Fei; Zheng, Xi; Jiang, Xue-Long; Chan, Bosco Pui Lok

2017-07-18

The sun bear, Helarctos malayanus (Raffles, 1821), is a forest-dependent bear species distributed in tropical Southeast Asia. The species was previously reported from scattered localities in southwestern China, which is at the northeastern edge of its global range. Due to the scarcity of reliable recent records, some authorities cast doubt on the continued existence of sun bear in China. Here we present the rediscovery of this species in Yingjiang County, western Yunnan Province, China, near the international border with Myanmar's Kachin State.

Automated assessment of noninvasive filling pressure using color Doppler M-mode echocardiography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, N. L.; Firstenberg, M. S.; Cardon, L. A.; Zuckerman, J.; Levine, B. D.; Garcia, M. J.; Thomas, J. D.

2001-01-01

Assessment of left ventricular filling pressure usually requires invasive hemodynamic monitoring to follow the progression of disease or the response to therapy. Previous investigations have shown accurate estimation of wedge pressure using noninvasive Doppler information obtained from the ratio of the wave propagation slope from color M-mode (CMM) images and the peak early diastolic filling velocity from transmitral Doppler images. This study reports an automated algorithm that derives an estimate of wedge pressure based on the spatiotemporal velocity distribution available from digital CMM Doppler images of LV filling.

Electron-position momentum distribution measurements of high-T c superconductors and related systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachs, A. L.; Turchi, P. E. A.; Howell, R. H.; Jean, Y. C.; Fluss, M. J.; West, R. N.; Kaiser, J. H.; Rayner, S.; Haghighi, H.; Merkle, K. L.; Revcolevschi, A.; Wang, Z. Z.

1989-12-01

We discuss our measurements of the 2D-angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (ACAR) in La 2CuO 4, YBa 2Cu 3O 7 (YBCO), and NiO. The measurements for NiO are the first such 2D-ACAR measurements; the YBCO results are of a higher statistical quality than previously reported in the literature. The data are compared with complementary theoretical calculations and with each other. We discuss the implication of our analysis for ACAR studies of similar and related systems.

A Review of Vapor Extraction Technology for Contaminated Soil Remediation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

NUMBER DATE DTIC ACCESSION 23 MAY 94 NOTICE 1 . REPORT IDENTIFYING INFORMATION I. PU yurmiWin av W A. ORIGINATING anENCY m of ftm...NUMBER W 6 to8 8t. N00123-89-G-0531 2. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT MTIr" 1 . Aswa AD Nuntw. ŕPPROVED FOR PUPLIC t•ELSASE; 2. ,elumtom ust,. DIST, Ri?-"jTO...8217 ,10" ’J’) ZL DTIC Form 50 PREVIOUS EDITIONS ARE OBSOLETE DEC 91 ,/ / 1 . - ’ < > i•" 1 A REVIEW OF VAPOR EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY FOR CONTAMINATED SOIL

Remote distribution of a mode-locked pulse train with sub 40-as jitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi-Fei; Jiang, Jie; Jones, David J.

2006-12-01

Remote transfer of an ultralow-jitter microwave frequency reference signal is demonstrated using the pulse trains generated by a mode-locked fiber laser. The timing jitter in a ~ 30-m fiber link is reduced to 38 attoseconds (as) integrated over a bandwidth from 1 Hz to 10 MHz via active stabilization which represents a significant improvement over previously reported jitter performance. Our approach uses an all-optical generation of the synchronization error signal and an accompanying out-of-loop optical detection technique to verify the jitter performance.

Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport and dose deposition from locally released gold nanoparticles labeled with 111In, 177Lu or 90Y incorporated into tissue implantable depots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Priscilla; Cai, Zhongli; Pignol, Jean-Philippe; Lechtman, Eli; Mashouf, Shahram; Lu, Yijie; Winnik, Mitchell A.; Jaffray, David A.; Reilly, Raymond M.

2017-11-01

Permanent seed implantation (PSI) brachytherapy is a highly conformal form of radiation therapy but is challenged with dose inhomogeneity due to its utilization of low energy radiation sources. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) conjugated with electron emitting radionuclides have recently been developed as a novel form of brachytherapy and can aid in homogenizing dose through physical distribution of radiolabeled AuNP when injected intratumorally (IT) in suspension. However, the distribution is unpredictable and precise placement of many injections would be difficult. Previously, we reported the design of a nanoparticle depot (NPD) that can be implanted using PSI techniques and which facilitates controlled release of AuNP. We report here the 3D dose distribution resulting from a NPD incorporating AuNP labeled with electron emitters (90Y, 177Lu, 111In) of different energies using Monte Carlo based voxel level dosimetry. The MCNP5 Monte Carlo radiation transport code was used to assess differences in dose distribution from simulated NPD and conventional brachytherapy sources, positioned in breast tissue simulating material. We further compare these dose distributions in mice bearing subcutaneous human breast cancer xenografts implanted with 177Lu-AuNP NPD, or injected IT with 177Lu-AuNP in suspension. The radioactivity distributions were derived from registered SPECT/CT images and time-dependent dose was estimated. Results demonstrated that the dose distribution from NPD reduced the maximum dose 3-fold when compared to conventional seeds. For simulated NPD, as well as NPD implanted in vivo, 90Y delivered the most homogeneous dose distribution. The tumor radioactivity in mice IT injected with 177Lu-AuNP redistributed while radioactivity in the NPD remained confined to the implant site. The dose distribution from radiolabeled AuNP NPD were predictable and concentric in contrast to IT injected radiolabeled AuNP, which provided irregular and temporally variant dose distributions. The use of NPD may serve as an intermediate between PSI and radiation delivered by radiolabeled AuNP by providing a controlled method to improve delivery of prescribed doses as well as homogenize dose from low penetrating electron sources.

Cryptic species Anopheles daciae (Diptera: Culicidae) found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

PubMed

Blažejová, Hana; Šebesta, Oldřich; Rettich, František; Mendel, Jan; Čabanová, Viktória; Miterpáková, Martina; Betášová, Lenka; Peško, Juraj; Hubálek, Zdeněk; Kampen, Helge; Rudolf, Ivo

2018-01-01

We report the distribution of mosquitoes of the maculipennis complex in two distinct areas of the Czech Republic (Bohemia and South Moravia) and in one locality of neighbouring Slovakia with emphasis on the detection of the newly described cryptic species Anopheles daciae (Linton, Nicolescu & Harbach, 2004). A total of 691 mosquitoes were analysed using a species-specific multiplex PCR assay to differentiate between the members of the maculipennis complex. In the Czech Republic, we found Anopheles maculipennis (with a prevalence rate of 1.4%), Anopheles messeae (49.0%) and Anopheles daciae (49.6%). In Slovakia, only An. messeae (52.1%) and An. daciae (47.9%) were detected. In this study, An. daciae was documented for the first time in the two countries where it represented a markedly higher proportion of maculipennis complex species (with an overall prevalence almost reaching 50%) in comparison to previous reports from Germany, Romania and Poland. The determination of the differential distribution of maculipennis complex species will contribute to assessing risks of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria or dirofilariasis.

The Ebola outbreak, 2013–2016: old lessons for new epidemics

PubMed Central

Lindsey, Benjamin; Ghinai, Isaac; Johnson, Anne M.; Heymann, David L.

2017-01-01

Ebola virus causes a severe haemorrhagic fever in humans with high case fatality and significant epidemic potential. The 2013–2016 outbreak in West Africa was unprecedented in scale, being larger than all previous outbreaks combined, with 28 646 reported cases and 11 323 reported deaths. It was also unique in its geographical distribution and multicountry spread. It is vital that the lessons learned from the world's largest Ebola outbreak are not lost. This article aims to provide a detailed description of the evolution of the outbreak. We contextualize this outbreak in relation to previous Ebola outbreaks and outline the theories regarding its origins and emergence. The outbreak is described by country, in chronological order, including epidemiological parameters and implementation of outbreak containment strategies. We then summarize the factors that led to rapid and extensive propagation, as well as highlight the key successes, failures and lessons learned from this outbreak and the response. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control’. PMID:28396469

Optical microwell assay of membrane transport kinetics.

PubMed

Kiskin, Nikolai I; Siebrasse, Jan P; Peters, Reiner

2003-10-01

In optical single transporter recording, membranes are firmly attached to flat solid substrates containing small wells or test compartments (TC). Transport of fluorescent molecules through TC-spanning membrane patches is induced by solution change and recorded by confocal microscopy. Previously, track-etched membrane filters were used to create solid substrates containing populations of randomly distributed TCs. In this study the possibilities offered by orderly TC arrays as created by laser microdrilling were explored. A theoretical framework was developed taking the convolution of membrane transport, solution change, and diffusion into account. The optical properties of orderly TC arrays were studied and the kinetics of solution change measured. Export and import through the nuclear pore complex (NPC) was analyzed in isolated envelopes of Xenopus oocyte nuclei. In accordance with previous reports nuclear transport receptor NTF2, which binds directly to NPC proteins, was found to be translocated much faster than "inert" molecules of similar size. Unexpectedly, NXT1, a homolog of NTF2 reportedly unable to bind to NPC proteins directly, was translocated as fast as NTF2. Thus, microstructured TC arrays were shown to provide optical single transporter recording with a new basis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bamunusinghe, Devinka, E-mail: dbamu001@ucr.ed; Hemenway, Cynthia L., E-mail: cindy_hemenway@ncsu.ed; Nelson, Richard S., E-mail: rsnelson@noble.or

Potato virus X (PVX) infection leads to certain cytopathological modifications of the host endomembrane system. The subcellular location of the PVX replicase was previously unknown while the PVX TGBp3 protein was previously reported to reside in the ER. Using PVX infectious clones expressing the green fluorescent protein reporter, and antisera detecting the PVX replicase and host membrane markers, we examined the subcellular distribution of the PVX replicase in relation to the TGBp3. Confocal and electron microscopic observations revealed that the replicase localizes in membrane bound structures that derive from the ER. A subset of TGBp3 resides in the ER atmore » the same location as the replicase. Sucrose gradient fractionation showed that the PVX replicase and TGBp3 proteins co-fractionate with ER marker proteins. This localization represents a region where both proteins may be synthesized and/or function. There is no evidence to indicate that either PVX protein moves into the Golgi apparatus. Cerulenin, a drug that inhibits de novo membrane synthesis, also inhibited PVX replication. These combined data indicate that PVX replication relies on ER-derived membrane recruitment and membrane proliferation.« less

Distribution and probable physiological role of esterases in reproductive, digestive, and fat-body tissues of the adult cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boh.

PubMed

Jones, B R; Bancroft, H R

1986-06-01

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to examine gut, Malpighian tube, fat-body, testes, and ovarioles tissues of the adult cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boh. Esterases for which the inheritance has been reported previously by Terranova using whole-body homogenates were detected in dissected tissues and the probable physiological function of each allozyme is suggested. EST-1 occurs most frequently in ovarioles and female fat bodies. EST-2 is most often found in fat bodies and may be important in lipid turnover. No sex difference was observed. EST-3S is found in fat bodies and reproductive tissue, while EST-3F is always located in gut tissues, indicating that EST-3 is not controlled by a single autosomal locus with two codominant alleles as previously reported. EST-4, the most abundant esterase, can be detected in gut tissue at any age and is probably involved in digestion. EST-5 contains four allozymes which appear most frequently in testes and may be important during reproduction.

Absidia corymbifera fungal infection in burns: a case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Constantinides, Joannis; Misra, Alok; Nassab, Reza; Wilson, Yvonne

2008-01-01

Fungal infection in burn wounds can be difficult to diagnose and manage. A previously reported 10-year experience in burns patients confirms that although a marked decline has occurred in bacterial infection, fungal wound infection rates remain unaffected. Moreover, there is significant morbidity and mortality associated with fungal infections in patients with extensive burns. Absidia corymbifera is a saprophytic organism, with worldwide distribution, that is primarily isolated from soil as well as decaying vegetation and grass. It is an uncommon pathogen representing only 2 to 3% of all zygomycete infections in humans. The organism is opportunistic, rarely infecting the immunocompetent although such cases have been reported. To our knowledge, there are only two prior reports of A. corymbifera in burns patients. The ability to invade intact skin through proteolytic enzymes as well as the organism's angioinvasive propensity is associated with high mortality and demands a multidisciplinary approach. We present a case report of A. corymbifera infection in a burns patient and review the current literature.

Water resources data for New Mexico, water year 1967; Part 1. surface water records

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1968-01-01

an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in New Mexico were contained in Parts 7, 8, and 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports is limited and primarily for local needs. The records will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided.

A plant distribution shift: temperature, drought or past disturbance?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwilk, Dylan W.; Keeley, Jon E.

2012-01-01

Simple models of plant response to warming climates predict vegetation moving to cooler and/or wetter locations: in mountainous regions shifting upslope. However, species-specific responses to climate change are likely to be much more complex. We re-examined a recently reported vegetation shift in the Santa Rosa Mountains, California, to better understand the mechanisms behind the reported shift of a plant distribution upslope. We focused on five elevational zones near the center of the gradient that captured many of the reported shifts and which are dominated by fire-prone chaparral. Using growth rings, we determined that a major assumption of the previous work was wrong: past fire histories differed among elevations. To examine the potential effect that this difference might have on the reported upward shift, we focused on one species, Ceanothus greggii: a shrub that only recruits post-fire from a soil stored seedbank. For five elevations used in the prior study, we calculated time series of past per-capita mortality rates by counting growth rings on live and dead individuals. We tested three alternative hypotheses explaining the past patterns of mortality: 1) mortality increased over time consistent with climate warming, 2) mortality was correlated with drought indices, and 3) mortality peaked 40–50 years post fire at each site, consistent with self-thinning. We found that the sites were different ages since the last fire, and that the reported increase in the mean elevation of C. greggii was due to higher recent mortality at the lower elevations, which were younger sites. The time-series pattern of mortality was best explained by the self-thinning hypothesis and poorly explained by gradual warming or drought. At least for this species, the reported distribution shift appears to be an artifact of disturbance history and is not evidence of a climate warming effect.

None of the above: A Bayesian account of the detection of novel categories.

PubMed

Navarro, Daniel J; Kemp, Charles

2017-10-01

Every time we encounter a new object, action, or event, there is some chance that we will need to assign it to a novel category. We describe and evaluate a class of probabilistic models that detect when an object belongs to a category that has not previously been encountered. The models incorporate a prior distribution that is influenced by the distribution of previous objects among categories, and we present 2 experiments that demonstrate that people are also sensitive to this distributional information. Two additional experiments confirm that distributional information is combined with similarity when both sources of information are available. We compare our approach to previous models of unsupervised categorization and to several heuristic-based models, and find that a hierarchical Bayesian approach provides the best account of our data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

ELEMENT MASSES IN THE CRAB NEBULA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sibley, Adam R.; Katz, Andrea M.; Satterfield, Timothy J.

Using our previously published element abundance or mass-fraction distributions in the Crab Nebula, we derived actual mass distributions and estimates for overall nebular masses of hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. As with the previous work, computations were carried out for photoionization models involving constant hydrogen density and also constant nuclear density. In addition, employing new flux measurements for [Ni ii]  λ 7378, along with combined photoionization models and analytic computations, a nickel abundance distribution was mapped and a nebular stable nickel mass estimate was derived.

Distribution and habitat in Mexico of Dactylopius Costa (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) and their cacti hosts (Cactaceae: Opuntioideae).

PubMed

Chávez-Moreno, C K; Tecante, A; Casas, A; Claps, L E

2011-01-01

The distribution pattern of species of the genus Dactylopius Costa in Mexico was analyzed in relation to the distribution of their host plants (subfamily Opuntioideae) to evaluate the specificity of the insect-host association. The distribution of Dactylopius currently recognized is narrower than that of its hosts and probably is not representative. Therefore, a broader distribution of the Dactylopius species in correspondence with those of their hosts was hypothesized. Insects and their hosts were collected and georeferenced in 14 states of Mexico from 2005 to 2007. The distribution areas, maps, and habitat characteristics of Dactylopius, Opuntia sensu stricto, Nopalea and Cylindropuntia were determined on the basis of field collections and examination of museum collections. This information was complemented with information from the exhaustive examination of microscope slides from a local insect collection, plants from local herbaria, and literature reviews. The current distribution of the genus Dactylopius and its hosts included 22 and 25 states of Mexico, respectively, and Dactylopius had a continuous distribution according to its hosts, broader than recognized hitherto. The new georeferenced records of the five Mexican Dactylopius species are reported. Insects with morphological characteristics of D. confusus combined with those of D. salmianus were identified, as well as insects with characteristics of D. opuntiae combined with those of D. salmianus. These records suggest that the number of local Dactylopius species could be higher than previously thought or that possible new processes of hybridization between native and introduced species may be occurring.

Ecological Niche Modeling for Filoviruses: A Risk Map for Ebola and Marburg Virus Disease Outbreaks in Uganda.

PubMed

Nyakarahuka, Luke; Ayebare, Samuel; Mosomtai, Gladys; Kankya, Clovice; Lutwama, Julius; Mwiine, Frank Norbert; Skjerve, Eystein

2017-09-05

Uganda has reported eight outbreaks caused by filoviruses between 2000 to 2016, more than any other country in the world. We used species distribution modeling to predict where filovirus outbreaks are likely to occur in Uganda to help in epidemic preparedness and surveillance. The MaxEnt software, a machine learning modeling approach that uses presence-only data was used to establish filovirus - environmental relationships. Presence-only data for filovirus outbreaks were collected from the field and online sources. Environmental covariates from Africlim that have been downscaled to a nominal resolution of 1km x 1km were used. The final model gave the relative probability of the presence of filoviruses in the study area obtained from an average of 100 bootstrap runs. Model evaluation was carried out using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) plots. Maps were created using ArcGIS 10.3 mapping software. We showed that bats as potential reservoirs of filoviruses are distributed all over Uganda. Potential outbreak areas for Ebola and Marburg virus disease were predicted in West, Southwest and Central parts of Uganda, which corresponds to bat distribution and previous filovirus outbreaks areas. Additionally, the models predicted the Eastern Uganda region and other areas that have not reported outbreaks before to be potential outbreak hotspots. Rainfall variables were the most important in influencing model prediction compared to temperature variables. Despite the limitations in the prediction model due to lack of adequate sample records for outbreaks, especially for the Marburg cases, the models provided risk maps to the Uganda surveillance system on filovirus outbreaks. The risk maps will aid in identifying areas to focus the filovirus surveillance for early detection and responses hence curtailing a pandemic. The results from this study also confirm previous findings that suggest that filoviruses are mainly limited by the amount of rainfall received in an area.

Thoracic computerized tomographic (CT) findings in 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in Isfahan, Iran

PubMed Central

Rostami, Mojtaba; Javadi, Abbas-Ali; Khorvash, Farzin; Mostafavizadeh, Kamyar; Adibi, Atoosa; Babak, Anahita; Ataei, Behrooz; Meidani, Mohsen; Naeini, Alireza Emami; Salehi, Hasan; Avijgan, Majid; Yazdani, Mohammad Reza; Rezaei, Farshid

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus arrived at Isfahan in August 2009. The virus is still circulating in the world. The abnormal thoracic computerized tomographic (CT) scan findings vary widely among the studies of 2009 H1N1 influenza. We evaluated the thoracic CT findings in patients with 2009 H1N1 virus infection to describe findings compared to previously reported findings, and to suggest patterns that may be suggestive for 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in an appropriate clinical setting. METHODS: Retrospectively, the archive of all patients with a diagnosis of 2009 H1N1 influenza A were reviewed, in Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, central Iran, between September 23rd 2009 to February 20th 2010. Out of 216 patients with confirmed 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus, 26 cases with abnormal CT were enrolled in the study. Radiologic findings were characterized by the type and pattern of opacities and zonal distribution. RESULTS: Patchy infiltration (34.6%), lobar consolidation (30.8%), and interstitial infiltration (26.9%) with airbronchogram (38.5%) were the predominant findings in our patients. Bilateral distribution was seen in 80.8% of the patients. Only one patient (3.8%) showed ground-glass opacity, predominant radiographic finding in the previous reports and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). CONCLUSIONS: The most common thoracic CT findings in pandemic H1N1 were patchy infiltration, lobar consolidation, and interstitial infiltration with airbronchogram and bilateral distribution. While these findings can be associated with other infections; they may be suggestive to 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in the appropriate clinical setting. Various radiographic patterns can be seen in thoracic CT scans of the influenza patients. Imaging findings are nonspecific. PMID:22091280

Ecological Niche Modeling for Filoviruses: A Risk Map for Ebola and Marburg Virus Disease Outbreaks in Uganda

PubMed Central

Nyakarahuka, Luke; Ayebare, Samuel; Mosomtai, Gladys; Kankya, Clovice; Lutwama, Julius; Mwiine, Frank Norbert; Skjerve, Eystein

2017-01-01

Introduction: Uganda has reported eight outbreaks caused by filoviruses between 2000 to 2016, more than any other country in the world. We used species distribution modeling to predict where filovirus outbreaks are likely to occur in Uganda to help in epidemic preparedness and surveillance. Methods: The MaxEnt software, a machine learning modeling approach that uses presence-only data was used to establish filovirus – environmental relationships. Presence-only data for filovirus outbreaks were collected from the field and online sources. Environmental covariates from Africlim that have been downscaled to a nominal resolution of 1km x 1km were used. The final model gave the relative probability of the presence of filoviruses in the study area obtained from an average of 100 bootstrap runs. Model evaluation was carried out using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) plots. Maps were created using ArcGIS 10.3 mapping software. Results: We showed that bats as potential reservoirs of filoviruses are distributed all over Uganda. Potential outbreak areas for Ebola and Marburg virus disease were predicted in West, Southwest and Central parts of Uganda, which corresponds to bat distribution and previous filovirus outbreaks areas. Additionally, the models predicted the Eastern Uganda region and other areas that have not reported outbreaks before to be potential outbreak hotspots. Rainfall variables were the most important in influencing model prediction compared to temperature variables. Conclusions: Despite the limitations in the prediction model due to lack of adequate sample records for outbreaks, especially for the Marburg cases, the models provided risk maps to the Uganda surveillance system on filovirus outbreaks. The risk maps will aid in identifying areas to focus the filovirus surveillance for early detection and responses hence curtailing a pandemic. The results from this study also confirm previous findings that suggest that filoviruses are mainly limited by the amount of rainfall received in an area. PMID:29034123

Evolutionary and dispersal history of Triatoma infestans, main vector of Chagas disease, by chromosomal markers.

PubMed

Panzera, Francisco; Ferreiro, María J; Pita, Sebastián; Calleros, Lucía; Pérez, Ruben; Basmadjián, Yester; Guevara, Yenny; Brenière, Simone Frédérique; Panzera, Yanina

2014-10-01

Chagas disease, one of the most important vector-borne diseases in the Americas, is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted to humans by insects of the subfamily Triatominae. An effective control of this disease depends on elimination of vectors through spraying with insecticides. Genetic research can help insect control programs by identifying and characterizing vector populations. In southern Latin America, Triatoma infestans is the main vector and presents two distinct lineages, known as Andean and non-Andean chromosomal groups, that are highly differentiated by the amount of heterochromatin and genome size. Analyses with nuclear and mitochondrial sequences are not conclusive about resolving the origin and spread of T. infestans. The present paper includes the analyses of karyotypes, heterochromatin distribution and chromosomal mapping of the major ribosomal cluster (45S rDNA) to specimens throughout the distribution range of this species, including pyrethroid-resistant populations. A total of 417 specimens from seven different countries were analyzed. We show an unusual wide rDNA variability related to number and chromosomal position of the ribosomal genes, never before reported in species with holocentric chromosomes. Considering the chromosomal groups previously described, the ribosomal patterns are associated with a particular geographic distribution. Our results reveal that the differentiation process between both T. infestans chromosomal groups has involved significant genomic reorganization of essential coding sequences, besides the changes in heterochromatin and genomic size previously reported. The chromosomal markers also allowed us to detect the existence of a hybrid zone occupied by individuals derived from crosses between both chromosomal groups. Our genetic studies support the hypothesis of an Andean origin for T. infestans, and suggest that pyrethroid-resistant populations from the Argentinean-Bolivian border are most likely the result of recent secondary contact between both lineages. We suggest that vector control programs should make a greater effort in the entomological surveillance of those regions with both chromosomal groups to avoid rapid emergence of resistant individuals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibitor development in patients receiving recombinant factor VIII (Recombinate rAHF/Bioclate): a prospective pharmacovigilance study.

PubMed

Ewenstein, B M; Gomperts, E D; Pearson, S; O'Banion, M E

2004-09-01

Clinical trials to date have not been adequately powered to assess comparatively infrequent events such as inhibitor development in previously treated patients (PTPs). Comprehensive large-scale pharmacovigilance studies can be useful for this purpose. We prospectively collected inhibitor development reports worldwide among recipients of Recombinate rAHF recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII), also formerly distributed under the product name Bioclate, for the entire postlicensure period from 1993 through 2002. To determine level of exposure to rFVIII we also compiled the Recombinate rAHF/Bioclate International Units (IU) distributed annually. To estimate inhibitor incidence separately for previously untreated or minimally treated patients (PUPs) with 1-50 exposure days and PTPs with >50 exposure days, we used haemophilia A incidence and prevalence data and pooled mean annual rFVIII consumption per PUP and PTP from international multicentre prospective clinical trials. Documented inhibitor cases totalled 89, and the total quantity of Recombinate rAHF/Bioclate rFVIII distributed was 6.48 x10(9) IU. No lot association or other clustering of inhibitor events was evident in PTPs. The incidence of all reported inhibitors, expressed as a percentage of patients treated, was 11.9% (CI: 5.05-28.0%) for PUPs when compared with 0.123% (CI: 0.030-0.512%) for PTPs. The rates for high-titre inhibitors (>5 BU) only were 5.96% (CI: 3.00-11.8%) for PUPs and 0.0554% (CI: 0.0113-0.271%) for PTPs. Thus, incidence rates for both all inhibitors and high-titre inhibitors in PTPs were 1% of the corresponding rates in PUPs. Data from prospective PUP clinical trials involving intensive active monitoring suggest that true inhibitor incidence may be approximately twice that estimated in this pharmacovigilance study. Nevertheless, inhibitor development in PTPs receiving Recombinate rAHF/Bioclate is infrequent.

Measuring the Human Ultra-Weak Photon Emission Distribution Using an Electron-Multiplying, Charge-Coupled Device as a Sensor.

PubMed

Ortega-Ojeda, Fernando; Calcerrada, Matías; Ferrero, Alejandro; Campos, Joaquín; Garcia-Ruiz, Carmen

2018-04-10

Ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) is the spontaneous emission from living systems mainly attributed to oxidation reactions, in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play a major role. Given the capability of the next-generation electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) sensors and the easy use of liquid crystal tunable filters (LCTF), the aim of this work was to explore the potential of a simple UPE spectrometer to measure the UPE from a human hand. Thus, an easy setup was configured based on a dark box for inserting the subject's hand prior to LCTF as a monochromator and an EMCCD sensor working in the full vertical binning mode (FVB) as a spectra detector. Under controlled conditions, both dark signals and left hand UPE were acquired by registering the UPE intensity at different selected wavelengths (400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, and 700 nm) during a period of 10 min each. Then, spurious signals were filtered out by ignoring the pixels whose values were clearly outside of the Gaussian distribution, and the dark signal was subtracted from the subject hand signal. The stepped spectrum with a peak of approximately 880 photons at 500 nm had a shape that agreed somewhat with previous reports, and agrees with previous UPE research that reported UPE from 420 to 570 nm, or 260 to 800 nm, with a range from 1 to 1000 photons s -1 cm -2 . Obtaining the spectral distribution instead of the total intensity of the UPE represents a step forward in this field, as it may provide extra information about a subject's personal states and relationship with ROS. A new generation of CCD sensors with lower dark signals, and spectrographs with a more uniform spectral transmittance, will open up new possibilities for configuring measuring systems in portable formats.

Handbook of LHC Higgs Cross Sections: 4. Deciphering the Nature of the Higgs Sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

de Florian, D.

This Report summarizes the results of the activities of the LHC Higgs Cross Section Working Group in the period 2014-2016. The main goal of the working group was to present the state-of-the-art of Higgs physics at the LHC, integrating all new results that have appeared in the last few years. The first part compiles the most up-to-date predictions of Higgs boson production cross sections and decay branching ratios, parton distribution functions, and off-shell Higgs boson production and interference effects. The second part discusses the recent progress in Higgs effective field theory predictions, followed by the third part on pseudo-observables, simplifiedmore » template cross section and fiducial cross section measurements, which give the baseline framework for Higgs boson property measurements. The fourth part deals with the beyond the Standard Model predictions of various benchmark scenarios of Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, extended scalar sector, Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and exotic Higgs boson decays. This report follows three previous working-group reports: Handbook of LHC Higgs Cross Sections: 1. Inclusive Observables (CERN-2011-002), Handbook of LHC Higgs Cross Sections: 2. Differential Distributions (CERN-2012-002), and Handbook of LHC Higgs Cross Sections: 3. Higgs properties (CERN-2013-004). The current report serves as the baseline reference for Higgs physics in LHC Run 2 and beyond.« less

Hot spots on Io: Initial results from Galileo's near infrared mapping spectrometer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopes-Gautier, R.; Davies, A.G.; Carlson, R.; Smythe, W.; Kamp, L.; Soderblom, L.; Leader, F.E.; Mehlman, R.

1997-01-01

The Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer on Galileo has monitored the volcanic activity on Io since June 28, 1996. This paper presents preliminary analysis of NIMS thermal data for the first four orbits of the Galileo mission. NIMS has detected 18 new hot spots and 12 others which were previously known to be active. The distribution of the hot spots on Io's surface may not be random, as hot spots surround the two bright, SO2-rich regions of Bosphorus Regio and Colchis Regio. Most hot spots seem to be persistently active from orbit to orbit and 10 of those detected were active in 1979 during the Voyager encounters. We report the distribution of hot spot temperatures and find that they are consistent with silicate volcanism. Copyright 1997 by the American Geophysical Union.

SHORT REPORT

PubMed Central

Gu, S. H.; Dormion, J.; Hugot, J.-P.; Yanagihara, R.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Recent discovery of genetically distinct hantaviruses in shrews and moles (order Soricomorpha, family Soricidae and Talpidae) has challenged the conventional view that rodents serve as the principal reservoir hosts. Nova virus (NVAV), previously identified in archival liver tissue of a single European mole (Talpa europaea) from Hungary, represents one of the most highly divergent hantaviruses identified to date. To ascertain the spatial distribution and genetic diversity of NVAV, we employed RT–PCR to analyse lungs from 94 moles, captured in two locations in France, during October 2012 to March 2013. NVAV was detected in more than 60% of moles at each location, suggesting efficient enzootic virus transmission and confirming that this mole species serves as the reservoir host. Although the pathogenic potential of NVAV is unknown, the widespread geographical distribution of the European mole might pose a hantavirus exposure risk for humans. PMID:24044372

Sera of IgA nephropathy patients contain a heterogeneous population of relatively cationic alpha-heavy chains.

PubMed

Shuib, A S; Chua, C T; Hashim, O H

1998-01-01

Sera of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients and normal subjects were analysed by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Densitometric analysis of the 2-D gels of IgAN patients and normal subjects revealed that their protein maps were comparable. There was no shift of pI values in the major alpha-heavy chain spots. However, the volume of the alpha-heavy chain bands were differently distributed. Distribution was significantly lower at the anionic region in IgAN patients (mean anionic:cationic ratio of 1.184 +/- 0.311) as compared to normal healthy controls (mean anionic:cationic ratio of 2.139 +/- 0.538). Our data are in support of the previously reported findings that IgA1 of IgAN patients were lacking in sialic acid residues.

A novel paraneoplastic syndrome with acquired lipodystrophy and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in an adolescent male with craniopharyngioma.

PubMed

Lockemer, Hillary Elizabeth; Sumpter, Kathryn Maria; Cope-Yokoyama, Sandy; Garg, Abhimanyu

2018-03-28

Acquired lipodystrophy, craniopharyngioma and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) are individually rare disorders, and have never before been reported in a single patient. A 15-year-7 month old Caucasian male presented with lower extremity weakness, frequent falls and abnormal fat distribution occurring over the previous 1 year. He was diagnosed with CIDP, craniopharyngioma and acquired lipodystrophy. The patient underwent tumor debulking and cranial irradiation for the craniopharyngioma, and received monthly intravenous immunoglobulin for the CIDP. The patient initially had some resolution of the lipodystrophy phenotype, but subsequently the abnormal fat distribution recurred and the patient developed additional systemic abnormalities, including mild pancytopenia and hepatic fibrosis. Our patient represents a novel association of acquired lipodystrophy, craniopharyngioma, and CIDP, possibly due to an as yet unidentified paraneoplastic autoantibody.

Rapid range shifts of species associated with high levels of climate warming.

PubMed

Chen, I-Ching; Hill, Jane K; Ohlemüller, Ralf; Roy, David B; Thomas, Chris D

2011-08-19

The distributions of many terrestrial organisms are currently shifting in latitude or elevation in response to changing climate. Using a meta-analysis, we estimated that the distributions of species have recently shifted to higher elevations at a median rate of 11.0 meters per decade, and to higher latitudes at a median rate of 16.9 kilometers per decade. These rates are approximately two and three times faster than previously reported. The distances moved by species are greatest in studies showing the highest levels of warming, with average latitudinal shifts being generally sufficient to track temperature changes. However, individual species vary greatly in their rates of change, suggesting that the range shift of each species depends on multiple internal species traits and external drivers of change. Rapid average shifts derive from a wide diversity of responses by individual species.

On the diversity and richness of understory bryophytes at Nectandra Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica.

PubMed

Norris, Daniel H; Kraichak, Ekaphan; Risk, Allen C; Lucas, Diane; Allard, Dorothy J; Rosengren, Frida; Clark, Theresa A; Fenton, Nicole; Tessler, Michael; Phephu, Nonkululo; Lennette, Evelyne T

2017-01-01

A survey of the understory bryophytes in the Nectandra Cloud Forest Preserve yielded 1083 specimens distributed among 55 families, represented by 74 genera of mosses, 75 genera of liverworts and 3 of hornworts. We studied and analyzed the bryophytic distribution on six types of substrates: 1) corticolous, 2) epiphyllous, 3) saxicolous, 4) terricolous, 5) aquatic and 6) lignicolous. The richness and composition of bryophyte genera are compared to those of other previous bryophyte surveys from 4 other sites with different oceanic exposures, climatic and geographic conditions in Costa Rica. This is a report of the first extensive general survey of bryophytes at the Nectandra Reserve, a premontane cloud forest located on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica, an area much less studied compared to the Monteverde cloud forest on the Pacific slope.

Both hemophilia health care providers and hemophilia a carriers report that carriers have excessive bleeding.

PubMed

Paroskie, Allison; Oso, Olatunde; Almassi, Benjamin; DeBaun, Michael R; Sidonio, Robert F

2014-05-01

Hemophilia A, the result of reduced factor VIII activity, is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder. Previous reports of hemophilia A carriers suggest an increased bleeding tendency. Our objective was to determine the attitudes and understanding of the hemophilia A carrier bleeding phenotype, and opinions regarding timing of carrier testing from the perspective of both medical providers and affected patients. Data from this survey were used as preliminary data for an ongoing prospective study. An electronic survey was distributed to physicians and nurses employed at Hemophilia Treatment Centers, and hemophilia A carriers who were members of Hemophilia Federation of America. The questions focused on the clinical understanding of bleeding symptoms and management of hemophilia A carriers, and the timing and intensity of carrier testing. Our survey indicates that 51% (36/51) of providers compared with 78% (36/46) of carriers believe that hemophilia A carriers with normal factor VIII activity have an increased bleeding tendency (P<0.001); 72% (33/36) of hemophilia A carriers report a high frequency of bleeding symptoms. Regarding carrier testing, 72% (50/69) of medical providers recommend testing after 14 years of age, conversely 65% (29/45) of hemophilia A carriers prefer testing to be done before this age (P<0.001). Hemophilia A carriers self-report a higher frequency of bleeding than previously acknowledged, and have a preference for earlier testing to confirm carrier status.

Structural geologic analysis of Nevada using ERTS-1 images: A preliminary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowan, L. C.; Wetlaufer, P. H.

1973-01-01

Structural analysis of Nevada using ERTS-1 images showns several previously unrecognized lineaments which may be the surface manifestations of major fault or fracture zones. Principle trends are NE, NW, NNE-NNW, and ENE. Two lineament zones, the Walker Lane and Midas Trench lineament system, transect the predominantly NNE-NNW trending mountain ranges for more than 500 km. 50 circular features have been delineated. Comparison with known Tertiary volcanic centers and reference to geologic maps suggest 8 new centers. Preferred distribution of mines and Tertiary volcanic centers along some of the major lineament suggests a genetic relationship. The intersection of three previously unmapped lineaments in northwestern Nevada is the location of a highly productive metallogenic district. In the Walker Lane, ENE-trending lineament appear to be related to the occurrence of productive ore deposits.

[An updated checklist of Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) from the Colombian Andean coffee-growing region].

PubMed

Contreras-Gutiérrez, María Angélica; Vélez, Iván Darío; Porter, Charles; Uribe, Sandra Inés

2014-01-01

An updated list of phlebotomine sand flies species in coffee growing areas in the Colombian Andean region is presented. Fifty three species were reported from 12 departments. In addition, species distribution in the region was derived from specimens obtained during intensive field work in five departments, from previously published studies and from the taxonomic revision of specimens in the entomological collection of the Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET). The list includes the genera Brumptomyia (2 species), Lutzomyia (50 species) and Warileya (1 species). The updated list contains eleven new records in the region under study, including Lutzomyia panamensis , a species of medical importance not recorded previously in this zone. Eighteen of the species are considered to be anthropophilic, and many of them have been implicated in the transmission of leishmaniasis.

Proximity Within Interphase Chromosome Contributes to the Breakpoint Distribution in Radiation-Induced Intrachromosomal Exchanges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Ye; Uhlemeyer, Jimmy; Hada, Megumi; Asaithamby, A.; Chen, David J.; Wu, Honglu

2015-01-01

Previously, we reported that breaks involved in chromosome aberrations were clustered in several regions of chromosome3 in human mammary epithelial cells after exposures to either low-or high-LET radiation. In particular, breaks in certain regions of the chromosome tended to rejoin with each other to form an intrachromosome exchange event. This study tests the hypothesis that proximity within a single chromosome in interphase cell nuclei contributes to the distribution of radiation-induced chromosome breaks. Chromosome 3 in G1 human mammary epithelial cells was hybridized with the multicolor banding in situ hybridization (mBAND) probes that distinguish the chromosome in six differently colored regions, and the location of these regions was measured with a laser confocal microscope. Results of the study indicated that, on a multi-mega base pair scale of the DNA, the arrangement of chromatin was non-random. Both telomere regions tended to be located towards the exterior of the chromosome domain, whereas the centromere region towards the interior. In addition, the interior of the chromosome domain was preferentially occupied by the p-arm of the chromatin, which is consistent with our previous finding of intrachromosome exchanges involving breaks on the p-arm and in the centromere region of chromosome3. Other factors, such as the fragile sites in the 3p21 band and gene regulation, may also contribute to the breakpoint distribution in radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. Further investigations suggest that the 3D chromosome folding is cell type and culture condition dependent.

The Sea-Ice Floe Size Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, H. L., III; Schweiger, A. J. B.; Zhang, J.; Steele, M.

2017-12-01

The size distribution of ice floes in the polar seas affects the dynamics and thermodynamics of the ice cover and its interaction with the ocean and atmosphere. Ice-ocean models are now beginning to include the floe size distribution (FSD) in their simulations. In order to characterize seasonal changes of the FSD and provide validation data for our ice-ocean model, we calculated the FSD in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas over two spring-summer-fall seasons (2013 and 2014) using more than 250 cloud-free visible-band scenes from the MODIS sensors on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, identifying nearly 250,000 ice floes between 2 and 30 km in diameter. We found that the FSD follows a power-law distribution at all locations, with a seasonally varying exponent that reflects floe break-up in spring, loss of smaller floes in summer, and the return of larger floes after fall freeze-up. We extended the results to floe sizes from 10 m to 2 km at selected time/space locations using more than 50 high-resolution radar and visible-band satellite images. Our analysis used more data and applied greater statistical rigor than any previous study of the FSD. The incorporation of the FSD into our ice-ocean model resulted in reduced sea-ice thickness, mainly in the marginal ice zone, which improved the simulation of sea-ice extent and yielded an earlier ice retreat. We also examined results from 17 previous studies of the FSD, most of which report power-law FSDs but with widely varying exponents. It is difficult to reconcile the range of results due to different study areas, seasons, and methods of analysis. We review the power-law representation of the FSD in these studies and discuss some mathematical details that are important to consider in any future analysis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alan W. Scaroni; David C. Glick

This project generated and provided coal samples and accompanying analytical data for research by DOE contractors and others. The five-year contract and a six-month no-cost extension have been completed. The Final Technical Progress Report is being prepared. All activities specified under the five-year contract and its six-month no-cost extension have been completed. Eleven DECS samples were collected, processed to a variety of particle sizes, heat-sealed in foil laminate bags under argon, and placed in refrigerated storage. All were analyzed for basic chemical composition, inorganic major and trace element composition including hazardous air pollutant elements, petrographic composition and characteristics, thermoplastic behaviormore » (if applicable), and other properties relevant to commercial utilization. Most were also analyzed by NMR, py/gc/ms, and a standardized liquefaction test; trends and relationships observed were evaluated and summarized. Twenty-two DECS samples collected under the previous contract received further processing, and most of these were subjected to organic geochemical and standardized liquefaction tests as well. Selected DECS samples were monitored annually to evaluate the effectiveness of foil laminate bags for long-term sample storage. Twenty-three PSOC samples collected under previous contracts and purged with argon before storage were also maintained and distributed, for a total of 56 samples covered by the contract. During the contract, 804 samples in 1586 containers, 2109 data printouts, and individual data items from 34208 samples were distributed. In the subject quarter, 25 samples, 18 data printouts, and individual data items from 1374 samples were distributed. All DECS samples are now available for immediate distribution at minus 6 mm (-1/4 inch), minus 0.85 mm (-20 mesh U.S.), and minus 0.25 mm (-60 mesh U.S.).« less

The potential distribution of the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia): an updated distribution model including irrigation improves model fit for predicting potential spread.

PubMed

Avila, G A; Davidson, M; van Helden, M; Fagan, L

2018-04-18

Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), Russian wheat aphid, is one of the world's most invasive and economically important agricultural pests of wheat and barley. In May 2016, it was found for the first time in Australia, with further sampling confirming it was widespread throughout south-eastern regions. Russian wheat aphid is not yet present in New Zealand. The impacts of this pest if it establishes in New Zealand, could result in serious control problems in wheat- and barley-growing regions. To evaluate whether D. noxia could establish populations in New Zealand we used the climate modelling software CLIMEX to locate where potential viable populations might occur. We re-parameterised the existing CLIMEX model by Hughes and Maywald (1990) by improving the model fit using currently known distribution records of D. noxia, and we also considered the role of irrigation into the potential spread of this invasive insect. The updated model now fits the current known distribution better than the previous Hughes and Maywald CLIMEX model, particularly in temperate and Mediterranean areas in Australia and Europe; and in more semi-arid areas in north-western China and Middle Eastern countries. Our model also highlights new climatically suitable areas for the establishment of D. noxia, not previously reported, including parts of France, the UK and New Zealand. Our results suggest that, when suitable host plants are present, Russian wheat aphid could establish in these regions. The new CLIMEX projections in the present study are useful tools to inform risk assessments and target surveillance and monitoring efforts for identifying susceptible areas to invasion by Russian wheat aphid.

Tapeworm Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Cestoda)—Neglected or Emerging Human Parasite?

PubMed Central

Kuchta, Roman; Brabec, Jan; Kubáčková, Petra; Scholz, Tomáš

2013-01-01

Background A total number of 14 valid species of Diphyllobothrium tapeworms have been described in literature to be capable of causing diphyllobothriosis, with D. latum being the major causative agent of all human infections. However, recent data indicate that some of these infections, especially when diagnosed solely on the basis of morphology, have been identified with this causative agent incorrectly, confusing other Diphyllobothrium species with D. latum. Another widely distributed species, D. dendriticum, has never been considered as a frequent parasite of man, even though it is found commonly throughout arctic and subarctic regions parasitizing piscivorous birds and mammals. Recent cases of Europeans infected with this cestode called into question the actual geographic distribution of this tapeworm, largely ignored by medical parasitologists. Methodology and Results On the basis of revision of more than 900 available references and a description and revision of recent European human cases using morphological and molecular (cox1) data supplemented by newly characterized D. dendriticum sequences, we updated the current knowledge of the life-cycle, geographic distribution, epidemiological status, and molecular diagnostics of this emerging causal agent of zoonotic disease of man. Conclusions The tapeworm D. dendriticum represents an example of a previously neglected, probably underdiagnosed parasite of man with a potential to spread globally. Recent cases of diphyllobothriosis caused by D. dendriticum in Europe (Netherlands, Switzerland and Czech Republic), where the parasite has not been reported previously, point out that causative agents of diphyllobothriosis and other zoonoses can be imported throughout the world. Molecular tools should be used for specific and reliable parasite diagnostics, and also rare or non-native species should be considered. This will considerably help improve our knowledge of the distribution and epidemiology of these human parasites. PMID:24386497

Tapeworm Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Cestoda)--neglected or emerging human parasite?

PubMed

Kuchta, Roman; Brabec, Jan; Kubáčková, Petra; Scholz, Tomáš

2013-01-01

A total number of 14 valid species of Diphyllobothrium tapeworms have been described in literature to be capable of causing diphyllobothriosis, with D. latum being the major causative agent of all human infections. However, recent data indicate that some of these infections, especially when diagnosed solely on the basis of morphology, have been identified with this causative agent incorrectly, confusing other Diphyllobothrium species with D. latum. Another widely distributed species, D. dendriticum, has never been considered as a frequent parasite of man, even though it is found commonly throughout arctic and subarctic regions parasitizing piscivorous birds and mammals. Recent cases of Europeans infected with this cestode called into question the actual geographic distribution of this tapeworm, largely ignored by medical parasitologists. On the basis of revision of more than 900 available references and a description and revision of recent European human cases using morphological and molecular (cox1) data supplemented by newly characterized D. dendriticum sequences, we updated the current knowledge of the life-cycle, geographic distribution, epidemiological status, and molecular diagnostics of this emerging causal agent of zoonotic disease of man. The tapeworm D. dendriticum represents an example of a previously neglected, probably underdiagnosed parasite of man with a potential to spread globally. Recent cases of diphyllobothriosis caused by D. dendriticum in Europe (Netherlands, Switzerland and Czech Republic), where the parasite has not been reported previously, point out that causative agents of diphyllobothriosis and other zoonoses can be imported throughout the world. Molecular tools should be used for specific and reliable parasite diagnostics, and also rare or non-native species should be considered. This will considerably help improve our knowledge of the distribution and epidemiology of these human parasites.

Ownership and usage of insecticide-treated bed nets after free distribution via a voucher system in two provinces of Mozambique.

PubMed

Macedo de Oliveira, Alexandre; Wolkon, Adam; Krishnamurthy, Ramesh; Erskine, Marcy; Crenshaw, Dana P; Roberts, Jacquelin; Saúte, Francisco

2010-08-04

Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) are an efficacious intervention for malaria prevention. During a national immunization campaign in Mozambique, vouchers, which were to be redeemed at a later date for free ITNs, were distributed in Manica and Sofala provinces. A survey to evaluate ITN ownership and usage post-campaign was conducted. Four districts in each province and four enumeration areas (EAs) in each district were selected using probability proportional to size. Within each EA, 32 households (HHs) were selected using a simple random sample. Interviews to assess ownership and usage were conducted in each of the selected HHs using personal digital assistants. Valid interviews were completed for 947 (92.5%) (440 in Manica and 507 in Sofala) of the 1,024 selected HHs. Among participating HHs, 65.0% in Manica and 63.1% in Sofala reported that at least one child under five years of age slept in the house the previous night. HH ownership of at least one bed net of any kind was 20.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.9%-43.6%) and 35.6% (95% CI: 27.8%-44.3%) pre-campaign; and 55.1% (95% CI: 43.6%-66.1%) and 59.6 (95% CI: 42.4%-74.7%) post-campaign in Manica and Sofala, respectively. Post-campaign HH ownership of at least one ITN was 50.2% (95% CI: 41.8%-58.5%) for both provinces combined. In addition, 60.3% (95% CI: 50.6%-69.2%) of children under five years of age slept under an ITN the previous night. This ITN distribution increased bed net ownership and usage rates. Integration of ITN distribution with immunization campaigns presents an opportunity for reaching malaria control targets and should continue to be considered.

Molecular dynamics analysis of the influence of Coulomb and van der Waals interactions on the work of adhesion at the solid-liquid interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surblys, Donatas; Leroy, Frédéric; Yamaguchi, Yasutaka; Müller-Plathe, Florian

2018-04-01

We investigated the solid-liquid work of adhesion of water on a model silica surface by molecular dynamics simulations, where a methodology previously developed to determine the work of adhesion through thermodynamic integration was extended to a system with long-range electrostatic interactions between solid and liquid. In agreement with previous studies, the work of adhesion increased when the magnitude of the surface polarity was increased. On the other hand, we found that when comparing two systems with and without solid-liquid electrostatic interactions, which were set to have approximately the same total solid-liquid interfacial energy, former had a significantly smaller work of adhesion and a broader distribution in the interfacial energies, which has not been previously reported in detail. This was explained by the entropy contribution to the adhesion free energy; i.e., the former with a broader energy distribution had a larger interfacial entropy than the latter. While the entropy contribution to the work of adhesion has already been known, as a work of adhesion itself is free energy, these results indicate that, contrary to common belief, wetting behavior such as the contact angle is not only governed by the interfacial energy but also significantly affected by the interfacial entropy. Finally, a new interpretation of interfacial entropy in the context of solid-liquid energy variance was offered, from which a fast way to qualitatively estimate the work of adhesion was also presented.

Potential effects of climate change on the distribution range of the main silicate sinker of the Southern Ocean.

PubMed

Pinkernell, Stefan; Beszteri, Bánk

2014-08-01

Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, a dominant diatom species throughout the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, is coined to be one of the main drivers of the biological silicate pump. Here, we study the distribution of this important species and expected consequences of climate change upon it, using correlative species distribution modeling and publicly available presence-only data. As experience with SDM is scarce for marine phytoplankton, this also serves as a pilot study for this organism group. We used the maximum entropy method to calculate distribution models for the diatom F. kerguelensis based on yearly and monthly environmental data (sea surface temperature, salinity, nitrate and silicate concentrations). Observation data were harvested from GBIF and the Global Diatom Database, and for further analyses also from the Hustedt Diatom Collection (BRM). The models were projected on current yearly and seasonal environmental data to study current distribution and its seasonality. Furthermore, we projected the seasonal model on future environmental data obtained from climate models for the year 2100. Projected on current yearly averaged environmental data, all models showed similar distribution patterns for F. kerguelensis. The monthly model showed seasonality, for example, a shift of the southern distribution boundary toward the north in the winter. Projections on future scenarios resulted in a moderately to negligibly shrinking distribution area and a change in seasonality. We found a substantial bias in the publicly available observation datasets, which could be reduced by additional observation records we obtained from the Hustedt Diatom Collection. Present-day distribution patterns inferred from the models coincided well with background knowledge and previous reports about F. kerguelensis distribution, showing that maximum entropy-based distribution models are suitable to map distribution patterns for oceanic planktonic organisms. Our scenario projections indicate moderate effects of climate change upon the biogeography of F. kerguelensis.

An Observational Study on Quantifying the Distance of Supercell-Boundary Interaction in the Great Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, Kathleen Marie

Several case studies and numerical simulations have confirmed that baroclinic boundaries provide enhanced horizontal and vertical vorticity, wind shear, helicity, and moisture that induce stronger updrafts, higher reflectivity, and stronger low-level rotation in supercells. However, the distance at which a boundary will provide such enhancement is less well-defined. Previous studies have identified distances ranging from 5 km to 200 km, and only focused on tornadogenesis rather than all forms of severe weather. To better aid short-term forecasts, the actual distances at which supercells produce severe weather in proximity to a boundary needs to be assessed. In this study, the distance between a large number of supercells and nearby surface boundaries (including warm fronts, stationary fronts, and outflow boundaries) is measured throughout the lifetime of each storm; the distance at which associated reports of large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes is also collected. Data is gathered from SPC storm reports, WPC surface analyses, ASOS archives, and NCDC radar archives. The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) from Unidata is used to analyze the distance of the supercell from the boundary every twenty minutes. These distances are then used to interpolate the distance at which severe and significantly severe reports occurred; reports are grouped by severe type (tornado, hail, or wind), then by boundary type (warm front, stationary front, or outflow). Using these distributions, the range from the boundary at which each type of severe weather is produced is identified per boundary type to assist forecasters. Overall, the range at which tornadoes are more likely to be produced is generally closer to the boundary than hail and wind reports for all three boundary types, likely owing to the enhanced helicity present near a boundary. Statistical analyses are used to assess the sensitivity of report distributions to report type, boundary type, distance from the boundary, and boundary strength. The distance of different report types near the same boundary surprisingly did not test as statistically different, except for warm fronts; however, when comparing the distances of the same report type associated with different boundaries, statistically significant differences were found for different boundaries in which different report types are maximally produced. Temperature gradients are not as statistically different between boundaries, but the temperature gradient within the same boundary is statistically significant for the occurrence of tornadoes vs. hail. Additional analyses were conducted to complement the distributions of severe report distances. Previous research has demonstrated that the angle at which supercells interact with boundaries impacts tornado production; in the present dataset, supercells interacting at an angle less than 45° are not only more likely to produce tornadoes, but also more likely to produce significantly severe tornadoes. Additionally, other studies have suggested that the temperature gradient of a boundary is of minimal importance with regards to tornado production. Interestingly, the tornadoes in this study were associated with stronger temperature gradients than for hail or wind production, thus v implying that a stronger amount of baroclinically-generated horizontal vorticity is required for tornadogenesis, likely due to the enhanced low-level rotation.

An Objective Approach to Select Climate Scenarios when Projecting Species Distribution under Climate Change

PubMed Central

Casajus, Nicolas; Périé, Catherine; Logan, Travis; Lambert, Marie-Claude; de Blois, Sylvie; Berteaux, Dominique

2016-01-01

An impressive number of new climate change scenarios have recently become available to assess the ecological impacts of climate change. Among these impacts, shifts in species range analyzed with species distribution models are the most widely studied. Whereas it is widely recognized that the uncertainty in future climatic conditions must be taken into account in impact studies, many assessments of species range shifts still rely on just a few climate change scenarios, often selected arbitrarily. We describe a method to select objectively a subset of climate change scenarios among a large ensemble of available ones. Our k-means clustering approach reduces the number of climate change scenarios needed to project species distributions, while retaining the coverage of uncertainty in future climate conditions. We first show, for three biologically-relevant climatic variables, that a reduced number of six climate change scenarios generates average climatic conditions very close to those obtained from a set of 27 scenarios available before reduction. A case study on potential gains and losses of habitat by three northeastern American tree species shows that potential future species distributions projected from the selected six climate change scenarios are very similar to those obtained from the full set of 27, although with some spatial discrepancies at the edges of species distributions. In contrast, projections based on just a few climate models vary strongly according to the initial choice of climate models. We give clear guidance on how to reduce the number of climate change scenarios while retaining the central tendencies and coverage of uncertainty in future climatic conditions. This should be particularly useful during future climate change impact studies as more than twice as many climate models were reported in the fifth assessment report of IPCC compared to the previous one. PMID:27015274

An Objective Approach to Select Climate Scenarios when Projecting Species Distribution under Climate Change.

PubMed

Casajus, Nicolas; Périé, Catherine; Logan, Travis; Lambert, Marie-Claude; de Blois, Sylvie; Berteaux, Dominique

2016-01-01

An impressive number of new climate change scenarios have recently become available to assess the ecological impacts of climate change. Among these impacts, shifts in species range analyzed with species distribution models are the most widely studied. Whereas it is widely recognized that the uncertainty in future climatic conditions must be taken into account in impact studies, many assessments of species range shifts still rely on just a few climate change scenarios, often selected arbitrarily. We describe a method to select objectively a subset of climate change scenarios among a large ensemble of available ones. Our k-means clustering approach reduces the number of climate change scenarios needed to project species distributions, while retaining the coverage of uncertainty in future climate conditions. We first show, for three biologically-relevant climatic variables, that a reduced number of six climate change scenarios generates average climatic conditions very close to those obtained from a set of 27 scenarios available before reduction. A case study on potential gains and losses of habitat by three northeastern American tree species shows that potential future species distributions projected from the selected six climate change scenarios are very similar to those obtained from the full set of 27, although with some spatial discrepancies at the edges of species distributions. In contrast, projections based on just a few climate models vary strongly according to the initial choice of climate models. We give clear guidance on how to reduce the number of climate change scenarios while retaining the central tendencies and coverage of uncertainty in future climatic conditions. This should be particularly useful during future climate change impact studies as more than twice as many climate models were reported in the fifth assessment report of IPCC compared to the previous one.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sano, Yukio; Sano, Tomokazu

A quadratic equation for the temperature-independent Grueneisen coefficient {gamma} was derived by a method in which the Walsh-Christian and Mie-Grueneisen equations are combined. Some previously existing ab initio temperature Hugoniots for hexagonal close-packed solid Fe are inaccurate because the constant-volume specific heats on the Hugoniots CVH, which are related uniquely to the solutions of the quadratic equation, have values that are too small. A CVH distribution in the solid phase range was demonstrated to agree approximately with a previous ab initio distribution. In contrast, the corresponding {gamma} distribution was significantly different from the ab initio distribution in the lower pressuremore » region. The causes of these disagreements are clarified.« less

Connections between residence time distributions and watershed characteristics across the continental US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Condon, L. E.; Maxwell, R. M.; Kollet, S. J.; Maher, K.; Haggerty, R.; Forrester, M. M.

2016-12-01

Although previous studies have demonstrated fractal residence time distributions in small watersheds, analyzing residence time scaling over large spatial areas is difficult with existing observational methods. For this study we use a fully integrated groundwater surface water simulation combined with Lagrangian particle tracking to evaluate connections between residence time distributions and watershed characteristics such as geology, topography and climate. Our simulation spans more than six million square kilometers of the continental US, encompassing a broad range of watershed sizes and physiographic settings. Simulated results demonstrate power law residence time distributions with peak age rages from 1.5 to 10.5 years. These ranges agree well with previous observational work and demonstrate the feasibility of using integrated models to simulate residence times. Comparing behavior between eight major watersheds, we show spatial variability in both the peak and the variance of the residence time distributions that can be related to model inputs. Peak age is well correlated with basin averaged hydraulic conductivity and the semi-variance corresponds to aridity. While power law age distributions have previously been attributed to fractal topography, these results illustrate the importance of subsurface characteristics and macro climate as additional controls on groundwater configuration and residence times.

Metagenomic insights into the carbohydrate-active enzymes carried by the microorganisms adhering to solid digesta in the rumen of cows.

PubMed

Wang, Lingling; Hatem, Ayat; Catalyurek, Umit V; Morrison, Mark; Yu, Zhongtang

2013-01-01

The ruminal microbial community is a unique source of enzymes that underpin the conversion of cellulosic biomass. In this study, the microbial consortia adherent on solid digesta in the rumen of Jersey cattle were subjected to an activity-based metagenomic study to explore the genetic diversity of carbohydrolytic enzymes in Jersey cows, with a particular focus on cellulases and xylanases. Pyrosequencing and bioinformatic analyses of 120 carbohydrate-active fosmids identified genes encoding 575 putative Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes) and proteins putatively related to transcriptional regulation, transporters, and signal transduction coupled with polysaccharide degradation and metabolism. Most of these genes shared little similarity to sequences archived in databases. Genes that were predicted to encode glycoside hydrolases (GH) involved in xylan and cellulose hydrolysis (e.g., GH3, 5, 9, 10, 39 and 43) were well represented. A new subfamily (S-8) of GH5 was identified from contigs assigned to Firmicutes. These subfamilies of GH5 proteins also showed significant phylum-dependent distribution. A number of polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) were found, and two of them contained genes encoding Sus-like proteins and cellulases that have not been reported in previous metagenomic studies of samples from the rumens of cows or other herbivores. Comparison with the large metagenomic datasets previously reported of other ruminant species (or cattle breeds) and wallabies showed that the rumen microbiome of Jersey cows might contain differing CAZymes. Future studies are needed to further explore how host genetics and diets affect the diversity and distribution of CAZymes and utilization of plant cell wall materials.

On the acoustic filtering of the pipe and sensor in a buried plastic water pipe and its effect on leak detection: an experimental investigation.

PubMed

Almeida, Fabrício; Brennan, Michael; Joseph, Phillip; Whitfield, Stuart; Dray, Simon; Paschoalini, Amarildo

2014-03-20

Acoustic techniques have been used for many years to find and locate leaks in buried water distribution systems. Hydrophones and accelerometers are typically used as sensors. Although geophones could be used as well, they are not generally used for leak detection. A simple acoustic model of the pipe and the sensors has been proposed previously by some of the authors of this paper, and their model was used to explain some of the features observed in measurements. However, simultaneous measurements of a leak using all three sensor-types in controlled conditions for plastic pipes has not been reported to-date and hence they have not yet been compared directly. This paper fills that gap in knowledge. A set of measurements was made on a bespoke buried plastic water distribution pipe test rig to validate the previously reported analytical model. There is qualitative agreement between the experimental results and the model predictions in terms of the differing filtering properties of the pipe-sensor systems. A quality measure for the data is also presented, which is the ratio of the bandwidth over which the analysis is carried out divided by the centre frequency of this bandwidth. Based on this metric, the accelerometer was found to be the best sensor to use for the test rig described in this paper. However, for a system in which the distance between the sensors is large or the attenuation factor of the system is high, then it would be advantageous to use hydrophones, even though they are invasive sensors.

Distribution of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the brain, retina and nervus terminalis of the sockeye salmon parr, Oncorhynchus nerka.

PubMed

Ostholm, T; Ekström, P; Ebbesson, S O

1990-09-01

Neurons displaying FMRFamide(Phe - Met - Arg - Phe - NH2)-like immunoreactivity have recently been implicated in neural plasticity in salmon. We now extend these findings by describing the extent of the FMRF-like immunoreactive (FMRF-IR) system in the brain, retina and olfactory system of sockeye salmon parr using the indirect peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique. FMRF-IR perikarya were found in the periventricular hypothalamus, mesencephalic laminar nucleus, nucleus nervi terminalis and retina (presumed amacrine cells), and along the olfactory nerves. FMRF-IR fibers were distributed throughout the brain with highest densities in the ventral area of the telencephalon, in the medial forebrain bundle, and at the borders between layers III/IV and IV/V in the optic tectum. High densities of immunoreactive fibers were also observed in the area around the torus semicircularis, in the medial hypothalamus, median raphe, ventromedial tegmentum, and central gray. In the retina, immunopositive fibers were localized to the inner plexiform layer, but several fiber elements were also found in the outer plexiform layer. The olfactory system displayed FMRF-IR fibers in the epithelium and along the olfactory nerves. These findings differ from those reported in other species as follows: (i) FMRF-IR cells in the retina have not previously been reported in teleosts; (ii) the presence of FMRF-IR fibers in the outer plexiform layer of the retina is a new finding for any species; (iii) the occurrence of immunopositive cells in the mesencephalic laminar nucleus has to our knowledge not been demonstrated previously.

On the Acoustic Filtering of the Pipe and Sensor in a Buried Plastic Water Pipe and its Effect on Leak Detection: An Experimental Investigation

PubMed Central

Almeida, Fabrício; Brennan, Michael; Joseph, Phillip; Whitfield, Stuart; Dray, Simon; Paschoalini, Amarildo

2014-01-01

Acoustic techniques have been used for many years to find and locate leaks in buried water distribution systems. Hydrophones and accelerometers are typically used as sensors. Although geophones could be used as well, they are not generally used for leak detection. A simple acoustic model of the pipe and the sensors has been proposed previously by some of the authors of this paper, and their model was used to explain some of the features observed in measurements. However, simultaneous measurements of a leak using all three sensor-types in controlled conditions for plastic pipes has not been reported to-date and hence they have not yet been compared directly. This paper fills that gap in knowledge. A set of measurements was made on a bespoke buried plastic water distribution pipe test rig to validate the previously reported analytical model. There is qualitative agreement between the experimental results and the model predictions in terms of the differing filtering properties of the pipe-sensor systems. A quality measure for the data is also presented, which is the ratio of the bandwidth over which the analysis is carried out divided by the centre frequency of this bandwidth. Based on this metric, the accelerometer was found to be the best sensor to use for the test rig described in this paper. However, for a system in which the distance between the sensors is large or the attenuation factor of the system is high, then it would be advantageous to use hydrophones, even though they are invasive sensors. PMID:24658622

Airborne or Fomite Transmission for Norovirus? A Case Study Revisited.

PubMed

Xiao, Shenglan; Tang, Julian W; Li, Yuguo

2017-12-14

Norovirus infection, a highly prevalent condition associated with a high rate of morbidity, comprises a significant health issue. Although norovirus transmission mainly occurs via the fecal-oral and vomit-oral routes, airborne transmission has been proposed in recent decades. This paper re-examines a previously described norovirus outbreak in a hotel restaurant wherein airborne transmission was originally inferred. Specifically, the original evidence that suggested airborne transmission was re-analyzed by exploring an alternative hypothesis: could this outbreak instead have occurred via fomite transmission? This re-analysis was based on whether fomite transmission could have yielded similar attack rate distribution patterns. Seven representative serving pathways used by waiters were considered, and the infection risk distributions of the alternative fomite transmission routes were predicted using a multi-agent model. These distributions were compared to the reported attack rate distribution in the original study using a least square methods approach. The results show that with some reasonable assumptions of human behavior patterns and parameter values, the attack rate distribution corresponded well with that of the infection risk via the fomite route. This finding offers an alternative interpretation of the transmission routes that underlay this particular norovirus outbreak and an important consideration in the development of infection control guidelines and the investigation of similar norovirus outbreaks in future.

Background and Pickup Ion Velocity Distribution Dynamics in Titan's Plasma Environment: 3D Hybrid Simulation and Comparison with CAPS T9 Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipatov, A. S.; Sittler, E. C., Jr.; Hartle, R. E.; Cooper, J. F.; Simpson, D. G.

2011-01-01

In this report we discuss the ion velocity distribution dynamics from the 3D hybrid simulation. In our model the background, pickup, and ionospheric ions are considered as a particles, whereas the electrons are described as a fluid. Inhomogeneous photoionization, electron-impact ionization and charge exchange are included in our model. We also take into account the collisions between the ions and neutrals. The current simulation shows that mass loading by pickup ions H(+); H2(+), CH4(+) and N2(+) is stronger than in the previous simulations when O+ ions are introduced into the background plasma. In our hybrid simulations we use Chamberlain profiles for the atmospheric components. We also include a simple ionosphere model with average mass M = 28 amu ions that were generated inside the ionosphere. The moon is considered as a weakly conducting body. Special attention will be paid to comparing the simulated pickup ion velocity distribution with CAPS T9 observations. Our simulation shows an asymmetry of the ion density distribution and the magnetic field, including the formation of the Alfve n wing-like structures. The simulation also shows that the ring-like velocity distribution for pickup ions relaxes to a Maxwellian core and a shell-like halo.

A model for calculating the vertical distribution of the atmospheric electric potential in the exchange layer in a maritime clean atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, M. N.; Kamra, A. K.

2012-11-01

A theoretical model is developed for calculating the vertical distribution of atmospheric electric potential in exchange layer of maritime clean atmosphere. The transport of space charge in electrode layer acts as a convective generator in this model and plays a major role in determining potential distribution in vertical. Eddy diffusion is the main mechanism responsible for the distribution of space charge in vertical. Our results show that potential at a particular level increases with increase in the strength of eddy diffusion under similar conditions. A method is suggested to estimate columnar resistance, the ionospheric potential and the vertical atmospheric electric potential distribution in exchange layer from measurements of total air-earth current density and surface electric field made over oceans. The results are validated and found to be in very good agreement with the previous aircraft measurements. Different parameters involved in the proposed methodology can be determined either theoretically, as in the present work, or experimentally using the near surface atmospheric electrical measurements or using some other surface-based measurement technique such as LIDAR. A graphical relationship between the atmospheric eddy diffusion coefficient and height of exchange layer obtained from atmospheric electrical approach, is reported.

Technical and biological variance structure in mRNA-Seq data: life in the real world

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background mRNA expression data from next generation sequencing platforms is obtained in the form of counts per gene or exon. Counts have classically been assumed to follow a Poisson distribution in which the variance is equal to the mean. The Negative Binomial distribution which allows for over-dispersion, i.e., for the variance to be greater than the mean, is commonly used to model count data as well. Results In mRNA-Seq data from 25 subjects, we found technical variation to generally follow a Poisson distribution as has been reported previously and biological variability was over-dispersed relative to the Poisson model. The mean-variance relationship across all genes was quadratic, in keeping with a Negative Binomial (NB) distribution. Over-dispersed Poisson and NB distributional assumptions demonstrated marked improvements in goodness-of-fit (GOF) over the standard Poisson model assumptions, but with evidence of over-fitting in some genes. Modeling of experimental effects improved GOF for high variance genes but increased the over-fitting problem. Conclusions These conclusions will guide development of analytical strategies for accurate modeling of variance structure in these data and sample size determination which in turn will aid in the identification of true biological signals that inform our understanding of biological systems. PMID:22769017

Accurate step-hold tracking of smoothly varying periodic and aperiodic probability.

PubMed

Ricci, Matthew; Gallistel, Randy

2017-07-01

Subjects observing many samples from a Bernoulli distribution are able to perceive an estimate of the generating parameter. A question of fundamental importance is how the current percept-what we think the probability now is-depends on the sequence of observed samples. Answers to this question are strongly constrained by the manner in which the current percept changes in response to changes in the hidden parameter. Subjects do not update their percept trial-by-trial when the hidden probability undergoes unpredictable and unsignaled step changes; instead, they update it only intermittently in a step-hold pattern. It could be that the step-hold pattern is not essential to the perception of probability and is only an artifact of step changes in the hidden parameter. However, we now report that the step-hold pattern obtains even when the parameter varies slowly and smoothly. It obtains even when the smooth variation is periodic (sinusoidal) and perceived as such. We elaborate on a previously published theory that accounts for: (i) the quantitative properties of the step-hold update pattern; (ii) subjects' quick and accurate reporting of changes; (iii) subjects' second thoughts about previously reported changes; (iv) subjects' detection of higher-order structure in patterns of change. We also call attention to the challenges these results pose for trial-by-trial updating theories.

The Faintest WISE Debris Disks: Enhanced Methods for Detection and Verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Heinze, Aren; Trollo, Joseph

2017-02-01

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos 75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. The latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W3- and W4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non-Hipparcos stars).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Trollo, Joseph

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos  75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. Themore » latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W 3- and W 4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non- Hipparcos stars).« less

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Environmental Report 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosene, Crystal

The purposes of the Environmental Report 2016 are to record LLNL’s compliance with environmental standards and requirements, describe LLNL’s environmental protection and remediation programs, and present the results of environmental monitoring. Specifically, the report discusses LLNL’s EMS; describes significant accomplishments in pollution prevention; presents the results of air, water, vegetation, and foodstuff monitoring; reports radiological doses from LLNL operations; summarizes LLNL’s activities involving special status wildlife, plants, and habitats; and describes the progress LLNL has made in remediating groundwater contamination. Environmental monitoring at LLNL, including analysis of samples and data, is conducted according to documented standard operating procedures. Duplicate samplesmore » are collected and analytical results are reviewed and compared to internal acceptance standards. This report is prepared for DOE by LLNL’s Environmental Functional Area (EFA). Submittal of the report satisfies requirements under DOE Order 231.1B, “Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,” and DOE Order 458.1, “Radiation Protection of the Public and Environment.” The report is distributed in electronic form and is available to the public at https://saer.llnl.gov/, the website for the LLNL annual environmental report. Previous LLNL annual environmental reports beginning with 1994 are also on the website.« less

SILICON CARBIDE GRAIN BOUNDARY DISTRIBUTIONS, IRRADIATION CONDITIONS, AND SILVER RETENTION IN IRRADIATED AGR-1 TRISO FUEL PARTICLES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lillo, T. M.; Rooyen, I. J.; Aguiar, J. A.

Precession electron diffraction in the transmission electron microscope was used to map grain orientation and ultimately determine grain boundary misorientation angle distributions, relative fractions of grain boundary types (random high angle, low angle or coincident site lattice (CSL)-related boundaries) and the distributions of CSL-related grain boundaries in the SiC layer of irradiated TRISO-coated fuel particles. Two particles from the AGR-1 experiment exhibiting high Ag-110m retention (>80%) were compared to a particle exhibiting low Ag-110m retention (<19%). Irradiated particles with high Ag-110m retention exhibited a lower fraction of random, high angle grain boundaries compared to the low Ag-110m retention particle. Anmore » inverse relationship between the random, high angle grain boundary fraction and Ag-110m retention is found and is consistent with grain boundary percolation theory. Also, comparison of the grain boundary distributions with previously reported unirradiated grain boundary distributions, based on SEM-based EBSD for similarly fabricated particles, showed only small differences, i.e. a greater low angle grain boundary fraction in unirradiated SiC. It was, thus, concluded that SiC layers with grain boundary distributions susceptible to Ag-110m release were present prior to irradiation. Finally, irradiation parameters were found to have little effect on the association of fission product precipitates with specific grain boundary types.« less

Catalogue of distribution of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Brazilian Amazonia. IV. Alopoglossidae, Gymnophthalmidae.

PubMed

Ribeiro-Júnior, Marco A; Amaral, Silvana

2017-05-22

We present distribution data of all Alopoglossidae and Gymnophthalmidae lizards known from the Brazilian Amazonia, totaling 54 species-level taxa, belonging to 17 genera and two families. This represents 22 more species-level taxa than previously reported. Data were based on 17,431 specimens deposited in three North American and eight Brazilian museums, including the main collections harboring Amazonian material. Most species (~80%) are endemic to Amazonia; non-endemic species are mainly associated with open vegetation (savanna) enclaves or open dry (semideciduous) forest in Amazonia, with a few exceptions. As a whole, seven taxa (including one species complex) are widespread in Amazonia, six are restricted to eastern Amazonia, seven to western Amazonia, two to southwestern Amazonia, 11 to southern Amazonia, 11 to northern Amazonia (either in part of it or widespread in the Guiana region), and six to the southern peripheral portion of Amazonia. Besides, four species present unique distributions. Considering this study and the other three catalogues of distribution of lizards already published, the total number of lizard species from Brazilian Amazonia increased from 97 to 142 species-level tava. It represents an increase of 45 species from the region since the last revision.

Immunization in India 1993-1999: wealth, gender, and regional inequalities revisited.

PubMed

Gaudin, Sylvestre; Yazbeck, Abdo S

2006-02-01

Previously published evidence from the 1992-1993 Indian National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) on the state of childhood immunization showed the importance of analyzing immunization outcomes beyond national averages. Reported total system failure (no immunization for all) in some low performance areas suggested that improvements in immunization levels may come with a worsening of the distribution of immunization based on wealth. In this paper, using the second wave of the NFHS (1998-1999), we take a new snapshot of the situation and compare it to 1992-1993, focusing on heterogeneities between states, rural-urban differentials, gender differentials, and more specifically on wealth-related inequalities. To assess whether improvements in overall immunization rates (levels) were accompanied by distributional improvements, or conversely, whether inequalities were reduced at the expense of overall achievement, we use a recently developed methodology to calculate an inequality-adjusted achievement index that captures performance both in terms of efficiency (change in levels) and equity (distribution by wealth quintiles) for each of the 17 largest Indian states. Comparing 1992-1993 to 1998-1999 achievements using different degrees of "inequality aversion" provides no evidence that distributional improvements occur at the expense of overall performance.

Organization of descending neurons in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Hsu, Cynthia T.; Bhandawat, Vikas

2016-01-01

Neural processing in the brain controls behavior through descending neurons (DNs) - neurons which carry signals from the brain to the spinal cord (or thoracic ganglia in insects). Because DNs arise from multiple circuits in the brain, the numerical simplicity and availability of genetic tools make Drosophila a tractable model for understanding descending motor control. As a first step towards a comprehensive study of descending motor control, here we estimate the number and distribution of DNs in the Drosophila brain. We labeled DNs by backfilling them with dextran dye applied to the neck connective and estimated that there are ~1100 DNs distributed in 6 clusters in Drosophila. To assess the distribution of DNs by neurotransmitters, we labeled DNs in flies in which neurons expressing the major neurotransmitters were also labeled. We found DNs belonging to every neurotransmitter class we tested: acetylcholine, GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine and octopamine. Both the major excitatory neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) and the major inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA) are employed equally; this stands in contrast to vertebrate DNs which are predominantly excitatory. By comparing the distribution of DNs in Drosophila to those reported previously in other insects, we conclude that the organization of DNs in insects is highly conserved. PMID:26837716

Organization of descending neurons in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Hsu, Cynthia T; Bhandawat, Vikas

2016-02-03

Neural processing in the brain controls behavior through descending neurons (DNs) - neurons which carry signals from the brain to the spinal cord (or thoracic ganglia in insects). Because DNs arise from multiple circuits in the brain, the numerical simplicity and availability of genetic tools make Drosophila a tractable model for understanding descending motor control. As a first step towards a comprehensive study of descending motor control, here we estimate the number and distribution of DNs in the Drosophila brain. We labeled DNs by backfilling them with dextran dye applied to the neck connective and estimated that there are ~1100 DNs distributed in 6 clusters in Drosophila. To assess the distribution of DNs by neurotransmitters, we labeled DNs in flies in which neurons expressing the major neurotransmitters were also labeled. We found DNs belonging to every neurotransmitter class we tested: acetylcholine, GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine and octopamine. Both the major excitatory neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) and the major inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA) are employed equally; this stands in contrast to vertebrate DNs which are predominantly excitatory. By comparing the distribution of DNs in Drosophila to those reported previously in other insects, we conclude that the organization of DNs in insects is highly conserved.

The adaptive approach for storage assignment by mining data of warehouse management system for distribution centres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ming-Huang Chiang, David; Lin, Chia-Ping; Chen, Mu-Chen

2011-05-01

Among distribution centre operations, order picking has been reported to be the most labour-intensive activity. Sophisticated storage assignment policies adopted to reduce the travel distance of order picking have been explored in the literature. Unfortunately, previous research has been devoted to locating entire products from scratch. Instead, this study intends to propose an adaptive approach, a Data Mining-based Storage Assignment approach (DMSA), to find the optimal storage assignment for newly delivered products that need to be put away when there is vacant shelf space in a distribution centre. In the DMSA, a new association index (AIX) is developed to evaluate the fitness between the put away products and the unassigned storage locations by applying association rule mining. With AIX, the storage location assignment problem (SLAP) can be formulated and solved as a binary integer programming. To evaluate the performance of DMSA, a real-world order database of a distribution centre is obtained and used to compare the results from DMSA with a random assignment approach. It turns out that DMSA outperforms random assignment as the number of put away products and the proportion of put away products with high turnover rates increase.

Annual Coal Distribution

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

The Annual Coal Distribution Report (ACDR) provides detailed information on domestic coal distribution by origin state, destination state, consumer category, and method of transportation. Also provided is a summary of foreign coal distribution by coal-producing state. All data for the report year are final and this report supersedes all data in the quarterly distribution reports.

A Metric and Workflow for Quality Control in the Analysis of Heterogeneity in Phenotypic Profiles and Screens

PubMed Central

Gough, Albert; Shun, Tongying; Taylor, D. Lansing; Schurdak, Mark

2016-01-01

Heterogeneity is well recognized as a common property of cellular systems that impacts biomedical research and the development of therapeutics and diagnostics. Several studies have shown that analysis of heterogeneity: gives insight into mechanisms of action of perturbagens; can be used to predict optimal combination therapies; and to quantify heterogeneity in tumors where heterogeneity is believed to be associated with adaptation and resistance. Cytometry methods including high content screening (HCS), high throughput microscopy, flow cytometry, mass spec imaging and digital pathology capture cell level data for populations of cells. However it is often assumed that the population response is normally distributed and therefore that the average adequately describes the results. A deeper understanding of the results of the measurements and more effective comparison of perturbagen effects requires analysis that takes into account the distribution of the measurements, i.e. the heterogeneity. However, the reproducibility of heterogeneous data collected on different days, and in different plates/slides has not previously been evaluated. Here we show that conventional assay quality metrics alone are not adequate for quality control of the heterogeneity in the data. To address this need, we demonstrate the use of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic as a metric for monitoring the reproducibility of heterogeneity in an SAR screen, describe a workflow for quality control in heterogeneity analysis. One major challenge in high throughput biology is the evaluation and interpretation of heterogeneity in thousands of samples, such as compounds in a cell-based screen. In this study we also demonstrate that three heterogeneity indices previously reported, capture the shapes of the distributions and provide a means to filter and browse big data sets of cellular distributions in order to compare and identify distributions of interest. These metrics and methods are presented as a workflow for analysis of heterogeneity in large scale biology projects. PMID:26476369

First Record of Culex (Microculex) daumastocampa (Diptera: Culicidae) in Mexico, with Notes on Cx. rejector and Cx. imitator.

PubMed

Ortega-Morales, A; Garza-Hernández, J A; González-Álvarez, V H; Hernández-Triana, L M; Rodríguez-Pérez, M A

2018-03-08

Culex (Microculex) daumastocampa Dyar & Knab was originally described by Dyar and Knab (Proc US Nat Mus 35:53-70, 1908) from larvae collected at axils of bromeliads in Port San Felipe, Panama. Culex daumastocampa is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Suriname, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico, although its presence had not been reported suggesting its northernmost distribution. In Mexico, the subgenus Microculex had included Cx. rejector Dyar and Knab, and Cx. imitator Theobald. However, after that collection specimens were re-examined along with other specimens collected during 2016 in Chiapas (all specimens are available in the Culicidae Collection of the Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna [UAAAN-UL], Mexico). Culex daumastocampa is now reported for the first time in Mexico, Cx. rejector for Chiapas, and Cx. imitator removed from the checklist of previous reports as to be present in Mexico.

Brave New Worlds: The Expanding Universe of Lyme Disease.

PubMed

Stone, Brandee L; Tourand, Yvonne; Brissette, Catherine A

2017-09-01

Projections around the globe suggest an increase in tick-vectored disease incidence and distribution, and the potential for emergence of novel tick-borne pathogens. Lyme disease is the most common reported tick-borne illness in the Unites States and is prevalent throughout much of central Europe. In recent years, the worldwide burden of Lyme disease has increased and extended into regions and countries where the disease was not previously reported. In this review, we discuss the trends for increasing Lyme disease, and examine the factors driving Lyme disease expansion, including the effect of climate change on the spread of vector Ixodid ticks and reservoir hosts; and the impacts of increased awareness on disease reporting and diagnosis. To understand the growing threat of Lyme disease, we need to study the interplay between vector, reservoir, and pathogen. In addition, we need to understand the contributions of climate conditions to changes in disease risk.

Sporotrichosis in Iran: A mini review of reported cases in patients suspected to cutaneous leishmaniasis

PubMed Central

Mahmoudi, S; Zaini, F

2015-01-01

Sporotrichosis is a chronic subcutaneous fungal infection with global distribution. It is a rare fungal infection with nine reported cases in Iran, including eight humans and one animal, within the past 30 years. Among the human cases, seven were of the fixed cutaneous type of sporotrichosis and one had sporotrichoid lymphocutaneous. The reported patients were within the age range of 23-60 years, and six of them were female. The most frequent sites of infection were forearms and hands, as well as the face and legs. In addition, the majority of the cases had previously been suspected of leishmaniasis and received treatment. Sporotrichosis is not a well-known condition in Iran and is often misdiagnosed and erroneously treated for other cutaneous parasitic or bacterial infections with similar clinical manifestations. Therefore, sporotrichosis should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of nodular-ulcerative skin lesions. PMID:28680987

Weakening of the relationship between the Indian Ocean Dipole and the ENSO in recent decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jun-Young; Ham, Yoo-Geun; Kug, Jong-Seong

2016-04-01

This study reports, on the 20th century the relationship between the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) was weaker then late 1990s. We shows that 15-yr moving correlation between the Nino3.4 index during the December to February (DJF) and IOD index during the September to November (SON) season. At this results we divided previous decades (1979 to 1998) and late decades (1999 to 2014). The correlation coefficient was 0.64 in the previous decades and 0.21 in the late decades. Late decades was suddenly weaker then previous decades. Because, there is a big difference between previous decades and late decades in the ENSO regressed precipitation anomaly spatial distribution during the El Nino developing the MAM season. There was existed positive precipitation anomalies over the off-equatorial western Pacific. It was induced the cross-equatorial southerly flow over the eastern Indian Ocean and maritime continent. It means cross-equatorial southerly flow was key point to understanding ENSO-IOD coupling system. In addition, using the climate models participated in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) supports the observational results.

Multiple Novel Prostate Cancer Predisposition Loci Confirmed by an International Study: The PRACTICAL Consortium

PubMed Central

Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Easton, Douglas F.; Stanford, Janet L.; Ostrander, Elaine A.; Schleutker, Johanna; Ingles, Sue A.; Schaid, Daniel; Thibodeau, Stephen; Dörk, Thilo; Neal, David; Cox, Angela; Maier, Christiane; Vogel, Walter; Guy, Michelle; Muir, Kenneth; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Kedda, Mary-Anne; Spurdle, Amanda; Steginga, Suzanne; John, Esther M.; Giles, Graham; Hopper, John; Chappuis, Pierre O.; Hutter, Pierre; Foulkes, William D.; Hamel, Nancy; Salinas, Claudia A.; Koopmeiners, Joseph S.; Karyadi, Danielle M.; Johanneson, Bo; Wahlfors, Tiina; Tammela, Teuvo L.; Stern, Mariana C.; Corral, Roman; McDonnell, Shannon K.; Schürmann, Peter; Meyer, Andreas; Kuefer, Rainer; Leongamornlert, Daniel A.; Tymrakiewicz, Malgorzata; Liu, Jo-fen; O'Mara, Tracy; Gardiner, R.A. (Frank); Aitken, Joanne; Joshi, Amit D.; Severi, Gianluca; English, Dallas R.; Southey, Melissa; Edwards, Stephen M.; Amin Al Olama, Ali; Eeles, Rosalind A.

2009-01-01

A recent genome-wide association study found that genetic variants on chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 19 and X were associated with prostate cancer risk. We evaluated the most significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in these loci using a worldwide consortium of 13 groups (PRACTICAL). Blood DNA from 7,370 prostate cancer cases and 5,742 male controls was analyzed by genotyping assays. Odds ratios (OR) associated with each genotype were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Six of the seven SNPs showed clear evidence of association with prostate cancer (P = 0.0007-P = 10−17). For each of these six SNPs, the estimated per-allele OR was similar to those previously reported and ranged from 1.12 to 1.29. One SNP on 3p12 (rs2660753) showed a weaker association than previously reported [per-allele OR, 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.16; P = 0.06) versus 1.18 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.31)]. The combined risks associated with each pair of SNPs were consistent with a multiplicative risk model. Under this model, and in combination with previously reported SNPs on 8q and 17q, these loci explain 16% of the familial risk of the disease, and men in the top 10% of the risk distribution have a 2.1-fold increased risk relative to general population rates. This study provides strong confirmation of these susceptibility loci in multiple populations and shows that they make an important contribution to prostate cancer risk prediction. PMID:18708398

Zn deposition at the bone cartilage interface in equine articular cartilage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, D. A.; Moger, C. J.; Winlove, C. P.

2007-09-01

In articular cartilage metalloproteinases, a family of enzymes whose function relies on the presence of divalent cations such as Zn and Ca plays a central role in the normal processes of growth and remodelling and in the degenerative and inflammatory processes of arthritis. Another important enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, involved in cartilage mineralisation also relies on metallic cofactors. The local concentration of divalent cations is therefore of considerable interest in cartilage pathophysiology and several authors have used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to map metal ion distributions in bone and cartilage. We report use of a bench-top XRF analytical microscope, providing spatial resolution of 10 μm and applicable to histological sections, facilitating correlation of the distribution with structural features. The study seeks to establish the elemental distribution in normal tissue as a precursor to investigation of changes in disease. For six samples prepared from equine metacarpophalangeal joint, we observed increased concentration of Zn and Sr ions around the tidemark between normal and mineralised cartilage. This is believed to be an active site of remodelling but its composition has hitherto lacked detailed characterization. We also report preliminary results on two of the samples using Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). This confirms our previous observations using synchrotron-based XRF of enhanced deposition of Sr and Zn at the surface of the subchondral bone and in articular cartilage.

Lovastatin inhibits amyloid precursor protein (APP) beta-cleavage through reduction of APP distribution in Lubrol WX extractable low density lipid rafts.

PubMed

Won, Je-Seong; Im, Yeong-Bin; Khan, Mushfiquddin; Contreras, Miguel; Singh, Avtar K; Singh, Inderjit

2008-05-01

Previous studies have described that statins (inhibitors of cholesterol and isoprenoid biosynthesis) inhibit the output of amyloid-beta (Abeta) in the animal model and thus decrease risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, their action mechanism(s) in Abeta precursor protein (APP) processing and Abeta generation is not fully understood. In this study, we report that lovastatin treatment reduced Abeta output in cultured hippocampal neurons as a result of reduced APP levels and beta-secretase activities in low density Lubrol WX (non-ionic detergent) extractable lipid rafts (LDLR). Rather than altering cholesterol levels in lipid raft fractions and thus disrupting lipid raft structure, lovastatin decreased Abeta generation through down-regulating geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate dependent endocytosis pathway. The inhibition of APP endocytosis by treatment with lovastatin and reduction of APP levels in LDLR fractions by treatment with phenylarsine oxide (a general endocytosis inhibitor) support the involvement of APP endocytosis in APP distribution in LDLR fractions and subsequent APP beta-cleavage. Moreover, lovastatin-mediated down-regulation of endocytosis regulators, such as early endosomal antigen 1, dynamin-1, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, indicates that lovastatin modulates APP endocytosis possibly through its pleiotropic effects on endocytic regulators. Collectively, these data report that lovastatin mediates inhibition of LDLR distribution and beta-cleavage of APP in a geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate and endocytosis-dependent manner.

LOVASTATIN INHIBITS AMYLOID PRECURSOR PROTEIN (APP) β-CLEAVAGE THROUGH REDUCTION OF APP DISTRIBUTION IN LUBROL WX EXTRACTABLE LOW DENSITY LIPID RAFTS

PubMed Central

Won, Je-Seong; Im, Yeong-Bin; Khan, Mushfiquddin; Contreras, Miguel; Singh, Avtar K.; Singh, Inderjit

2009-01-01

Previous studies have described that statins (inhibitors of cholesterol and isoprenoid biosynthesis) inhibit the output of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the animal model and thus decrease risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, their action mechanism(s) in APP processing and Aβ generation is not fully understood. Here we report that lovastatin treatment reduced Aβ output in cultured hippocampal neurons as a result of reduced Aβ precursor protein (APP) levels and β-secretase activities in low density Lubrol WX (non-ionic detergent) extractable lipid rafts (LDLR). Rather than altering cholesterol levels in lipid raft fractions and thus disrupting lipid raft structure, lovastatin decreased Aβ generation through down-regulating geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate (GGPP) dependent endocytosis pathway. The inhibition of APP endocytosis by treatment with lovastatin and reduction of APP levels in LDLR fractions by treatment with phenylarsine oxide (a general endocytosis inhibitor) support the involvement of APP endocytosis in APP distribution in LDLR fractions and subsequent APP β-cleavage. Moreover, lovastatin-mediated down-regulation of endocytosis regulators, such as EEA1, dynamin-I and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase activity, indicates that lovastatin modulates APP endocytosis possibly through its pleiotropic effects on endocytic regulators. Collectively, these data report that lovastatin mediates inhibition of LDLR distribution and β-cleavage of APP in a GGPP and endocytosis dependent manner. PMID:18266936

Distribution of AAV-TK following intracranial convection-enhanced delivery into rats.

PubMed

Cunningham, J; Oiwa, Y; Nagy, D; Podsakoff, G; Colosi, P; Bankiewicz, K S

2000-01-01

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors are being tested in animal models as viable treatments for glioma and neurodegenerative disease and could potentially be employed to target a variety of central nervous system disorders. The relationship between dose of injected vector and its resulting distribution in brain tissue has not been previously reported nor has the most efficient method of delivery been determined. Here we report that convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of 2.5 x 10(8), 2.5 x 10(9), or 2.5 x 10(10) particles of AAV-thymidine kinase (AAV-TK) into rat brain revealed a clear dose response. In the high-dose group, a volume of 300 mm3 of brain tissue was partially transduced. Results showed that infusion pump and subcutaneous osmotic pumps were both capable of delivering vector via CED and that total particle number was the most important determining factor in obtaining efficient expression. Results further showed differences in histopathology between the delivery groups. While administration of vector using infusion pump had relatively benign effects, the use of osmotic pumps resulted in notable toxicity to the surrounding brain tissue. To determine tissue distribution of vector following intracranial delivery, PCR analysis was performed on tissues from rats that received high doses of AAV-TK. Three weeks following CED, vector could be detected in both hemispheres of the brain, spinal cord, spleen, and kidney.

Worldwide Distribution of Four SNPs in X‐Ray and Repair and Cross‐Complementing Group 1 (XRCC1)

PubMed Central

Takeshita, Haruo; Yasuda, Toshihiro; Kimura‐Kataoka, Kaori

2014-01-01

Abstract Purpose X‐ray repair cross‐complementing group 1 (XRCC1) repairs single‐strand breaks in DNA. Several reports have shown the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (Arg194Trp, Pro206Pro, Arg280His, Arg399Gln) in XRCC1 to diseases. Limited population data are available regarding SNPs in XRCC1, especially in African populations. In this study, genotype distributions of four SNPs in worldwide populations were examined and compared with those reported previously. Materials and Methods Four SNPs (Arg194Trp, Pro206Pro, Arg280His, Arg399Gln) in XRCC1 from genomic DNA samples of 10 populations were evaluated by using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results The frequency of the minor allele corresponding to the Trp allele of XRCC1Arg194Trp was higher in Asian populations than in African and Caucasian populations. As for XRCC1Pro206Pro, Africans showed higher minor allele frequencies than did Asian populations, except for Tamils and Sinhalese. XRCC1 Arg280His frequencies were similar among Africans and Caucasians but differed among Asian populations. Similarly, lower mutant XRCC1 Arg399Gln frequencies were observed in Africans. Conclusions This study is the first to show the existence of a certain genetic heterogeneity in the worldwide distribution of four SNPs in XRCC1. PMID:25387884

Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Other Natural Occurrences of Asbestos in Oregon and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2010-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 51 natural occurrences of asbestos in Washington and Oregon, using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Pacific Northwest States of Washington and Oregon. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the United States, which thus far includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos occurrences within the Eastern United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/), the Central United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/), the Rocky Mountain States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1182/), and the Southwestern United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1095/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the United States.

Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Southwestern United States (Arizona, Nevada, and Utah)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2008-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 113 natural asbestos occurrences in the Southwestern United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Southwestern U.S., which includes sites in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which thus far includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos occurrences within the Eastern U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/), the Central U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/), and the Rocky Mountain States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1182/. These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Rocky Mountain States of the United States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2007-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 48 natural asbestos occurrences in the Rocky Mountain States of the United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Rocky Mountain States. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which thus far includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos occurrences within the Eastern U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/) and the Central U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

Selected field and analytical methods and analytical results in the Dutch Flats area, western Nebraska, 1995-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verstraeten, Ingrid M.; Steele, G.V.; Cannia, J.C.; Bohlke, J.K.; Kraemer, T.E.; Hitch, D.E.; Wilson, K.E.; Carnes, A.E.

2001-01-01

A study of the water resources of the Dutch Flats area in the western part of the North Platte Natural Resources District, western Nebraska, was conducted from 1995 through 1999 to describe the surface water and hydrogeology, the spatial distribution of selected water-quality constituents in surface and ground water, and the surface-water/ground-water interaction in selected areas. This report describes the selected field and analytical methods used in the study and selected analytical results from the study not previously published. Specifically, dissolved gases, age-dating data, and other isotopes collected as part of an intensive sampling effort in August and November 1998 and all uranium and uranium isotope data collected through the course of this study are included in the report.

Post-translational glutamylation and tyrosination in tubulin of tritrichomonads and the diplomonad Giardia intestinalis.

PubMed

Boggild, A K; Sundermann, C A; Estridge, B H

2002-01-01

Glutamylated and tyrosinated tubulin were localized in Giardia intestinalis and selected trichomonads of the Tritrichomonadinae subfamily, using specific monoclonal antibodies directed at each of the post-translational modifications. Analysis was carried out using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Although trichomonad tubulins remained unlabeled by anti-tyrosine tubulin (TUB-1A2), the presence of the glutamylation motif (GT 335) was confirmed and found to differ in distribution among tritrichomonads. Tritrichomonas muris was most heavily labeled with GT 335, while T. foetus was the least so. Like trichomonads, Giardia was unreactive to anti-tyrosine tubulin; however, the GT 335 antibody produced marked fluorescence in Giardia trophozoites. This study is the first to report immunofluorescent localization of tubulin glutamylation in Giardia and confirms previously reported mass spectrometry data.

Blister formation at subcritical doses in tungsten irradiated by MeV protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavish Segev, I.; Yahel, E.; Silverman, I.; Makov, G.

2017-12-01

The material response of tungsten to irradiation by MeV protons has been studied experimentally, in particular with respect to bubble and blister formation. Tungsten samples were irradiated by 2.2 MeV protons at the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF) to doses of the order of 1017 protons/cm2 which are below the reported critical threshold for blister formation derived from keV range irradiation studies. Large, well-developed blisters are observed indicating that for MeV range protons the critical threshold is at least an order of magnitude lower than the lowest value reported previously. The effects of fluence, flux, and corresponding temperature on the distribution and characteristics of the obtained blisters were studied. FIB cross sections of several blisters exposed their depth and structure.

Detection of tunnel excavation using fiber optic reflectometry: experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linker, Raphael; Klar, Assaf

2013-06-01

Cross-border smuggling tunnels enable unmonitored movement of people and goods, and pose a severe threat to homeland security. In recent years, we have been working on the development of a system based on fiber- optic Brillouin time domain reflectometry (BOTDR) for detecting tunnel excavation. In two previous SPIE publications we have reported the initial development of the system as well as its validation using small-scale experiments. This paper reports, for the first time, results of full-scale experiments and discusses the system performance. The results confirm that distributed measurement of strain profiles in fiber cables buried at shallow depth enable detection of tunnel excavation, and by proper data processing, these measurements enable precise localization of the tunnel, as well as reasonable estimation of its depth.

The economic impact of NASA R and D spending Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, M. K.

1976-01-01

Seven appendices related to a previous report on the economic impact of NASA R and D spending were presented. They dealt with: (1) theoretical and empirical development of aggregate production functions, (2) the calculation of the time series for the rate of technological progress, (3) the calculation of the industry mix variable, (4) the estimation of distributed lags, (5) the estimation of the equations for gamma, (6) a ten-year forecast of the U.S. economy, (7) simulations of the macroeconomic model for increases in NASA R and D spending of $1.0, $.0.5, and 0.1 billions.

Electron-positron momentum distribution measurements of high-T(sub c) superconductors and related systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachs, A. L.; Turchi, P. E. A.; Howell, R. H.; Jean, Y. C.; Fluss, M. J.; West, R. N.; Kaiser, J. H.; Rayner, S.; Hahgighi, H.; Merkle, K. L.

1989-06-01

We discuss our measurements of the 2D-angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (ACAR) in La(sub 2)CuO(sub 4), YBa(sub 2)Cu(sub 3)O(sub 7) (YBCO), and NiO. The measurements for NiO are the first such 2D-ACAR measurements; the YBCO results are of a higher statistical quality than previously reported in the literature. The data are compared with complementary theoretical calculations and with each other. We discuss the implication of our analysis for ACAR studies of similar and related systems.

Turbulent pipe flow at extreme Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Hultmark, M; Vallikivi, M; Bailey, S C C; Smits, A J

2012-03-02

Both the inherent intractability and complex beauty of turbulence reside in its large range of physical and temporal scales. This range of scales is captured by the Reynolds number, which in nature and in many engineering applications can be as large as 10(5)-10(6). Here, we report turbulence measurements over an unprecedented range of Reynolds numbers using a unique combination of a high-pressure air facility and a new nanoscale anemometry probe. The results reveal previously unknown universal scaling behavior for the turbulent velocity fluctuations, which is remarkably similar to the well-known scaling behavior of the mean velocity distribution.

Stress fractures in elite cross-country athletes.

PubMed

Laker, Scott R; Saint-Phard, Deborah; Tyburski, Mark; Van Dorsten, Brent

2007-04-01

This retrospective and comparative survey investigates an unusual number of stress fractures seen within a Division I college cross-country team. An anonymous questionnaire-designed to observe factors known to increase stress fracture incidence-was distributed to members of the current and previous seasons' teams. Running surface, sleep hours, intake of calcium, and shoe type were among the factors investigated. Eleven lower extremity stress fractures were found in nine athletes. Athletes with stress fractures reported significantly fewer workouts per week on the new track. All other study parameters had no statistically significant effect on stress fractures in these athletes.

Diary of events in a thoroughly unhaunted house.

PubMed

Houran, J; Lange, R

1996-10-01

Two subjects were asked to keep a 30-day journal of occurrences in their residence which are traditionally associated with hauntings and poltergeist-like phenomena. It was expected that the instructions would increase the frequency of perception of unusual or rarely occurring events in their residence, resulting in an attentional and "perceptual contagion effect." As expected, several features of the percipients' observations closely resembled those found in previously reported poltergeist episodes. Most importantly, the distribution of perceived occurrences closely resembled the predicted logistic curve, suggesting that hauntings involve a perceptual process where initial observations "infect" later ones.

Westward expansion of the tawny-bellied cotton rat (Sigmodon fulviventer) in west-central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geluso, Keith; Hoffman, J.D.; Ashe, V.A.; White, J.A.; Bogan, M.A.

2005-01-01

In New Mexico, the tawny-bellied cotton rat (Sigmodon fulviventer) previously was known only from central and southwestern parts of the state. In central New Mexico, most records were from areas of tall grass and marshes associated with the middle Rio Grande valley. In 2003, we discovered S. fulviventer in grassy and marshy habitats >100 km west of the Rio Grande in west-central New Mexico. Because past surveys in this region did not report captures of Sigmodon, we suspect our distributional records represent recent westward expansion of S. fulviventer in the state.

Generation and oxidation of aerosol deposited PdAg nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blomberg, S.; Gustafson, J.; Martin, N. M.; Messing, M. E.; Deppert, K.; Liu, Z.; Chang, R.; Fernandes, V. R.; Borg, A.; Grönbeck, H.; Lundgren, E.

2013-10-01

PdAg nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm have been generated by an aerosol particle method, and supported on a silica substrate. By using a combination of X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy it is shown that the size distribution of the particles is narrow and that the two metals form an alloy with a mixture of 75% Pd and 25% Ag. Under oxidizing conditions, Pd is found to segregate to the surface and a thin PdO like oxide is formed similar to the surface oxide previously reported on extended PdAg and pure Pd surfaces.

Nonlocal Poisson-Fermi model for ionic solvent.

PubMed

Xie, Dexuan; Liu, Jinn-Liang; Eisenberg, Bob

2016-07-01

We propose a nonlocal Poisson-Fermi model for ionic solvent that includes ion size effects and polarization correlations among water molecules in the calculation of electrostatic potential. It includes the previous Poisson-Fermi models as special cases, and its solution is the convolution of a solution of the corresponding nonlocal Poisson dielectric model with a Yukawa-like kernel function. The Fermi distribution is shown to be a set of optimal ionic concentration functions in the sense of minimizing an electrostatic potential free energy. Numerical results are reported to show the difference between a Poisson-Fermi solution and a corresponding Poisson solution.

First photographic records of the giant manta ray Manta birostris off eastern Australia

PubMed Central

Jaine, Fabrice R.A.; Kashiwagi, Tom

2015-01-01

We present the first photographic evidence of the presence of the giant manta ray Manta birostris in east Australian waters. Two individuals were photographed off Montague Island in New South Wales and off the north east coast of Tasmania, during summer 2012 and 2014, respectively. These sightings confirm previous unverified reports on the species occurrence and extend the known distribution range of M. birostris to 40°S. We discuss these findings in the context of the species’ migratory behaviour, the regional oceanography along the south east Australian coastline and local productivity events. PMID:25649395

First photographic records of the giant manta ray Manta birostris off eastern Australia.

PubMed

Couturier, Lydie I E; Jaine, Fabrice R A; Kashiwagi, Tom

2015-01-01

We present the first photographic evidence of the presence of the giant manta ray Manta birostris in east Australian waters. Two individuals were photographed off Montague Island in New South Wales and off the north east coast of Tasmania, during summer 2012 and 2014, respectively. These sightings confirm previous unverified reports on the species occurrence and extend the known distribution range of M. birostris to 40°S. We discuss these findings in the context of the species' migratory behaviour, the regional oceanography along the south east Australian coastline and local productivity events.

The Life Cycles of Intense Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Circulation Systems Observed over Oceans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Phillip J.

1996-01-01

This report presents a summary of research accomplished over the past four years under the sponsorship of NASA grant #NAG8-915. Building on previously funded NASA grants, this part of the project focused on the following specific goals relative to cyclone/anticyclone systems: the jet streak link between block formation and upstream cyclone activity; the role of northward warm air advection in block formation; the importance of cooperative participation of several forcing mechanisms during explosive cyclone development; and the significance of the vertical distribution of forcing processes during cyclone/anticyclone development.

Advanced computer architecture specification for automated weld systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsinis, Constantine

1994-01-01

This report describes the requirements for an advanced automated weld system and the associated computer architecture, and defines the overall system specification from a broad perspective. According to the requirements of welding procedures as they relate to an integrated multiaxis motion control and sensor architecture, the computer system requirements are developed based on a proven multiple-processor architecture with an expandable, distributed-memory, single global bus architecture, containing individual processors which are assigned to specific tasks that support sensor or control processes. The specified architecture is sufficiently flexible to integrate previously developed equipment, be upgradable and allow on-site modifications.

Fermi surface ridge at second and third Umklapp positron annihilations in Y Ba2Cu3O(7-delta)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, G.; Adam, S.; Barbiellini, B.; Hoffmann, L.; Manuel, A. A.; Massidda, S.; Peter, M.

1993-06-01

Results of statistical noise smoothing of the electron momentum distribution obtained by two-dimensional angular correlation of the electron-positron annihilation radiation technique on untwinned YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) single crystals are reported. Two distinct signatures of the sheet of Fermi surface related to the CuO chains (the ridge) are resolved. The first occurs at second Umklapp processes, in agreement with previous evidence. The second one, identified for the first time, occurs at third Umklapp processes. Comparison with FLAPW calculations confirms this result.

Fermi surface ridge at second and third UMKLAPP positron annihilations in YBa 2Cu 3O 7- δ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Gh.; Adam, S.; Barbiellini, B.; Hoffmann, L.; Manuel, A. A.; Peter, M.; Massida, S.

1993-12-01

Results of statistical noise smoothing of the electron momentum distribution got by two-dimensional angular correlation of the electron-positron annihilation radiation technique on untwinned YBa 2Cu 3O 7- δ single crystals are reported. Two distinct signatures of the sheet of Fermi surface related to the CuO chains (the ridge) are resolved. The first occurs at second Umklapp processes, in agreement with previous evidence. The second one, identified for the first time, occurs at third Umklapp processes. Comparison with FLAPW calculations confirms this result.

He 2-104 - A symbiotic proto-planetary nebula?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarz, Hugo E.; Aspin, Colin; Lutz, Julie H.

1989-01-01

CCD observations are presented for He 2-104, an object previously classified as both PN and symbiotic star, which show that this is in fact a protoplanetary nebula (PPN) with a dynamical age of about 800 yr. The presence of highly collimated jets, extending over 75 arcsec on the sky, combined with an energy distribution showing a hot as well as a cool component, indicates that He 2-104 is a binary PPN. Since the primary is probably a Mira with a 400-d period (as reported by Whitelock, 1988), it is proposed that the system is a symbiotic PPN.

Ultrahigh vertical resolution radar measurements in the lower stratosphere at Arecibo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ierkic, H. M.; Perillat, P.; Woodman, R. F.

1990-01-01

The paper reports on heretofore unprecedented observations of the turbulent layers in the lower stratosphere using the Arecibo 2380-MHz radar. Spectral profiles with about 20 m height and 15 s time resolutions at altitudes in the range 16-19 km are used to parametrize relevant characteristics of the turbulence, namely, vertical widths, distributions, lifetimes, and cutoffs height. These measurements validate previous deconvolved estimates and are free from contaminating factors like shear or beam broadening and partial reflections. Some theoretical predictions are verified, in particular those relating to the height of cutoff and the outer scale of the turbulence.

17 CFR 230.139 - Publications or distributions of research reports by brokers or dealers distributing securities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... of research reports by brokers or dealers distributing securities. 230.139 Section 230.139 Commodity... ACT OF 1933 General § 230.139 Publications or distributions of research reports by brokers or dealers... section, a broker's or dealer's publication or distribution of a research report about an issuer or any of...

17 CFR 230.139 - Publications or distributions of research reports by brokers or dealers distributing securities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... of research reports by brokers or dealers distributing securities. 230.139 Section 230.139 Commodity... ACT OF 1933 General § 230.139 Publications or distributions of research reports by brokers or dealers... section, a broker's or dealer's publication or distribution of a research report about an issuer or any of...

Estimating the implicit component of visuomotor rotation learning by constraining movement preparation time.

PubMed

Leow, Li-Ann; Gunn, Reece; Marinovic, Welber; Carroll, Timothy J

2017-08-01

When sensory feedback is perturbed, accurate movement is restored by a combination of implicit processes and deliberate reaiming to strategically compensate for errors. Here, we directly compare two methods used previously to dissociate implicit from explicit learning on a trial-by-trial basis: 1 ) asking participants to report the direction that they aim their movements, and contrasting this with the directions of the target and the movement that they actually produce, and 2 ) manipulating movement preparation time. By instructing participants to reaim without a sensory perturbation, we show that reaiming is possible even with the shortest possible preparation times, particularly when targets are narrowly distributed. Nonetheless, reaiming is effortful and comes at the cost of increased variability, so we tested whether constraining preparation time is sufficient to suppress strategic reaiming during adaptation to visuomotor rotation with a broad target distribution. The rate and extent of error reduction under preparation time constraints were similar to estimates of implicit learning obtained from self-report without time pressure, suggesting that participants chose not to apply a reaiming strategy to correct visual errors under time pressure. Surprisingly, participants who reported aiming directions showed less implicit learning according to an alternative measure, obtained during trials performed without visual feedback. This suggests that the process of reporting can affect the extent or persistence of implicit learning. The data extend existing evidence that restricting preparation time can suppress explicit reaiming and provide an estimate of implicit visuomotor rotation learning that does not require participants to report their aiming directions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY During sensorimotor adaptation, implicit error-driven learning can be isolated from explicit strategy-driven reaiming by subtracting self-reported aiming directions from movement directions, or by restricting movement preparation time. Here, we compared the two methods. Restricting preparation times did not eliminate reaiming but was sufficient to suppress reaiming during adaptation with widely distributed targets. The self-report method produced a discrepancy in implicit learning estimated by subtracting aiming directions and implicit learning measured in no-feedback trials. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Spatial variability of "Did You Feel It?" intensity data: insights into sampling biases in historical earthquake intensity distributions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hough, Susan E.

2013-01-01

Recent parallel development of improved quantitative methods to analyze intensity distributions for historical earthquakes and of web‐based systems for collecting intensity data for modern earthquakes provides an opportunity to reconsider not only important individual historical earthquakes but also the overall characterization of intensity distributions for historical events. The focus of this study is a comparison between intensity distributions of historical earthquakes with those from modern earthquakes for which intensities have been determined by the U.S. Geological Survey “Did You Feel It?” (DYFI) website (see Data and Resources). As an example of a historical earthquake, I focus initially on the 1843 Marked Tree, Arkansas, event. Its magnitude has been previously estimated as 6.0–6.2. I first reevaluate the macroseismic effects of this earthquake, assigning intensities using a traditional approach, and estimate a preferred magnitude of 5.4. Modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) values for the Marked Tree earthquake are higher, on average, than those from the 2011 >Mw 5.8 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake for distances ≤500  km but comparable or lower on average at larger distances, with a smaller overall felt extent. Intensity distributions for other moderate historical earthquakes reveal similar discrepancies; the discrepancy is also even more pronounced using earlier published intensities for the 1843 earthquake. I discuss several hypotheses to explain the discrepancies, including the possibility that intensity values associated with historical earthquakes are commonly inflated due to reporting/sampling biases. A detailed consideration of the DYFI intensity distribution for the Mineral earthquake illustrates how reporting and sampling biases can account for historical earthquake intensity biases as high as two intensity units and for the qualitative difference in intensity distance decays for modern versus historical events. Thus, intensity maps for historical earthquakes tend to imply more widespread damage patterns than are revealed by intensity distributions of modern earthquakes of comparable magnitude. However, intensity accounts of historical earthquakes often include fragmentary accounts suggesting long‐period shaking effects that will likely not be captured fully in historical intensity distributions.

Stability and change in the distribution of cytospecies of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) in southern Ghana from 1971 to 2011.

PubMed

Post, Rory J; Cheke, Robert A; Boakye, Daniel A; Wilson, Michael D; Osei-Atweneboana, Mike Y; Tetteh-Kumah, Anthony; Lamberton, Poppy Hl; Crainey, J Lee; Yaméogo, Laurent; Basáñez, María-Gloria

2013-07-13

Simulium damnosum s.l., the most important vector of onchocerciasis in Africa, is a complex of sibling species that have been described on the basis of differences in their larval polytene chromosomes. These (cyto) species differ in their geographical distributions, ecologies and epidemiological roles. In Ghana, distributional changes have been recorded as a consequence of vector control and environmental change (e.g. deforestation), with potential disease consequences. We review the distribution of cytospecies in southern Ghana and report changes observed with reference to historical data collated from 1971 to 2005 and new identifications made between 2006 and 2011. Larvae were collected from riverine breeding sites, fixed in Carnoy's solution and chromosome preparations made. Cytotaxonomic identifications from 1,232 samples (including 49 new samples) were analysed. We report long-term stability in cytospecies distribution in the rivers Afram, Akrum, Pawnpawn and Pru. For the rivers Oda, Ofin and Tano we describe (for the first time) patterns of distribution. We could not detect cytospecies composition changes in the upper Pra, and the lower Pra seems to have been stable. The elimination of the Djodji form of S. sanctipauli in the Volta Region seems to have had no long-term effects on the distribution of the other cytospecies, despite an initial surge by S. yahense. There has been a recent increase in the occurrence of savannah cytospecies in the river Asukawkaw, and this might be related to continuing deforestation. Cytospecies' distributions have not been stable from 1971 to 2011. Although there are no obvious causes for the temporary appearance and subsequent disappearance of cytospecies in a particular location, a major influence has been vector control and migration patterns, probably explaining observed changes on the Black Volta and lower Volta rivers. Deforestation was previously implicated in an increase of savannah cytospecies in southern Ghana (1975-1997). Our data had little power to support (or refute) suggestions of a continuing increase, except in the Asukawkaw river basin.

Stability and change in the distribution of cytospecies of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) in southern Ghana from 1971 to 2011

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Simulium damnosum s.l., the most important vector of onchocerciasis in Africa, is a complex of sibling species that have been described on the basis of differences in their larval polytene chromosomes. These (cyto) species differ in their geographical distributions, ecologies and epidemiological roles. In Ghana, distributional changes have been recorded as a consequence of vector control and environmental change (e.g. deforestation), with potential disease consequences. We review the distribution of cytospecies in southern Ghana and report changes observed with reference to historical data collated from 1971 to 2005 and new identifications made between 2006 and 2011. Methods/Results Larvae were collected from riverine breeding sites, fixed in Carnoy’s solution and chromosome preparations made. Cytotaxonomic identifications from 1,232 samples (including 49 new samples) were analysed. We report long-term stability in cytospecies distribution in the rivers Afram, Akrum, Pawnpawn and Pru. For the rivers Oda, Ofin and Tano we describe (for the first time) patterns of distribution. We could not detect cytospecies composition changes in the upper Pra, and the lower Pra seems to have been stable. The elimination of the Djodji form of S. sanctipauli in the Volta Region seems to have had no long-term effects on the distribution of the other cytospecies, despite an initial surge by S. yahense. There has been a recent increase in the occurrence of savannah cytospecies in the river Asukawkaw, and this might be related to continuing deforestation. Conclusions Cytospecies’ distributions have not been stable from 1971 to 2011. Although there are no obvious causes for the temporary appearance and subsequent disappearance of cytospecies in a particular location, a major influence has been vector control and migration patterns, probably explaining observed changes on the Black Volta and lower Volta rivers. Deforestation was previously implicated in an increase of savannah cytospecies in southern Ghana (1975–1997). Our data had little power to support (or refute) suggestions of a continuing increase, except in the Asukawkaw river basin. PMID:23849451

Use of dissolved H2 concentrations to determine distribution of microbially catalyzed redox reactions in anoxic groundwater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lovley, D.R.; Chapelle, F.H.; Woodward, J.C.

1994-01-01

The potential for using concentrations of dissolved H2 to determine the distribution of redox processes in anoxic groundwaters was evaluated. In pristine aquifers in which standard geochemical measurements indicated that Fe-(III) reduction, sulfate reduction, or methanogenesis was the terminal electron accepting process (TEAP), the H2 concentrations were similar to the H2 concentrations that have previously been reported for aquatic sediments with the same TEAPs. In two aquifers contaminated with petroleum products, it was impossible with standard geochemical analyses to determine which TEAPs predominated in specific locations. However, the TEAPs predicted from measurements of dissolved H2 were the same as those determined directly through measurements of microbial processes in incubated aquifer material. These results suggest that H2 concentrations may be a useful tool for analyzing the redox chemistry of nonequilibrium groundwaters.

Category-dependent and category-independent goal-value codes in human ventromedial prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

McNamee, Daniel; Rangel, Antonio; O’Doherty, John P

2013-01-01

To choose between manifestly distinct options, it is suggested that the brain assigns values to goals using a common currency. Although previous studies have reported activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) correlating with the value of different goal stimuli, it remains unclear whether such goal-value representations are independent of the associated stimulus categorization, as required by a common currency. Using multivoxel pattern analyses on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, we found a region of medial prefrontal cortex to contain a distributed goal-value code that is independent of stimulus category. More ventrally in the vmPFC, we found spatially distinct areas of the medial orbitofrontal cortex to contain unique category-dependent distributed value codes for food and consumer items. These results implicate the medial prefrontal cortex in the implementation of a common currency and suggest a ventral versus dorsal topographical organization of value signals in the vmPFC. PMID:23416449

Measurement of proton momentum distributions using a direct geometry instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senesi, R.; Kolesnikov, A. I.; Andreani, C.

2014-12-01

We report the results of inelastic neutron scattering measurements on bulk water and ice using the direct geometry SEQUOIA chopper spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source (USA), with incident energy Ei= 6 eV. In this set up the measurements allow to access the Deep Inelastic Neutron Scattering regime. The scattering is centred at the proton recoil energy given by the impulse approximation, and the shape of the recoil peak conveys information on the proton momentum distribution in the system. The comparison with the performance of inverse geometry instruments, such as VESUVIO at the ISIS source (UK), shows that complementary information can be accessed by the use of direct and inverse geometry instruments. Analysis of the neutron Compton profiles shows that the proton kinetic energy in ice at 271 K is larger than in room temperature liquid water, in agreement with previous measurements on VESUVIO.

Modifying a Rodenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope for imaging densitometry.

PubMed

Tornow, R P; Beuel, S; Zrenner, E

1997-08-01

The necessary modifications and technical requirements are described for using a commercially available scanning laser ophthalmoscope (Rodenstock Model 101 SLO) as an imaging densitometer to assess human photopigment distribution. The main requirements are a linear detector amplifier, fast shutters for the laser beams, and a trigger unit. Images must be compensated for varying laser intensity. Both rod and cone photopigments are measured with the 514-nm argon laser of the SLO. Discrimination is possible owing to the different spatial distribution. The cone pigment density peaks in the foveal center (D = 0.40) with a steep decrease with increasing eccentricity E (full width at half-maximum, 2.5 degrees ). Rod photopigment increases with increasing eccentricity (D = 0.23 for E = 11 degrees ). These values are in agreement with previous reported results obtained with scanning laser ophthalmoscopes specially designed for retinal densitometry and high stability.

Calculation of a solid/liquid surface tension: A methodological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreher, T.; Lemarchand, C.; Soulard, L.; Bourasseau, E.; Malfreyt, P.; Pineau, N.

2018-01-01

The surface tension of a model solid/liquid interface constituted of a graphene sheet surrounded by liquid methane has been computed using molecular dynamics in the Kirkwood-Buff formalism. We show that contrary to the fluid/fluid case, the solid/liquid case can lead to different structurations of the first fluid layer, leading to significantly different values of surface tension. Therefore we present a statistical approach that consists in running a series of molecular simulations of similar systems with different initial conditions, leading to a distribution of surface tensions from which an average value and uncertainty can be extracted. Our results suggest that these distributions converge as the system size increases. Besides we show that surface tension is not particularly sensitive to the choice of the potential energy cutoff and that long-range corrections can be neglected contrary to what we observed in the liquid/vapour interfaces. We have not observed the previously reported commensurability effect.

Neuroaxonal Dystrophy and Cavitating Leukoencephalopathy of Chihuahua Dogs.

PubMed

Degl'Innocenti, Sara; Asiag, Nimrod; Zeira, Offer; Falzone, Cristian; Cantile, Carlo

2017-09-01

A novel form of neuroaxonal dystrophy is described in 3 Chihuahua pups, 2 of which were from the same litter. It was characterized not only by accumulation of numerous and widely distributed axonal swellings (spheroids) but also by a severe cavitating leukoencephalopathy. The dogs presented with progressive neurological signs, including gait abnormalities and postural reaction deficits. Magnetic resonance images and gross examination at necropsy revealed dilation of lateral ventricles and cerebral atrophy, accompanied by cavitation of the subcortical white matter. Histopathologically, severe axonal degeneration with formation of large spheroids was found in the cerebral and cerebellar white matter, thalamus, and brainstem nuclei. Small-caliber spheroids were observed in the cerebral and cerebellar gray matter. The telencephalic white matter had severe myelin loss and cavitation with relative sparing of the U-fibers. Different from previously reported cases of canine neuroaxonal dystrophy, in these Chihuahuas the spheroid distribution predominantly involved the white matter with secondary severe leukoencephalopathy.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF DEUTERATED FORMALDEHYDE WITHIN ORION-KL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Favre, Cécile; Bergin, Edwin A.; Neill, Justin L.

2015-08-01

We report the first high angular resolution imaging (3.″4 × 3.″0) of deuterated formaldehyde (HDCO) toward Orion-KL, carried out with the Submillimeter Array. We find that the spatial distribution of the formaldehyde emission systematically differs from that of methanol: while methanol is found toward the inner part of the region, HDCO is found in colder gas that wraps around the methanol emission on four sides. The HDCO/H{sub 2}CO ratios are determined to be 0.003–0.009 within the region, up to an order of magnitude higher than the D/H measured for methanol. These findings strengthen the previously suggested hypothesis that there aremore » differences in the chemical pathways leading to HDCO (via deuterated gas-phase chemistry) and deuterated methanol (through conversion of formaldehyde into methanol on the surface of icy grain mantles)« less

Model improvements to simulate charging in SEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arat, K. T.; Klimpel, T.; Hagen, C. W.

2018-03-01

Charging of insulators is a complex phenomenon to simulate since the accuracy of the simulations is very sensitive to the interaction of electrons with matter and electric fields. In this study, we report model improvements for a previously developed Monte-Carlo simulator to more accurately simulate samples that charge. The improvements include both modelling of low energy electron scattering and charging of insulators. The new first-principle scattering models provide a more realistic charge distribution cloud in the material, and a better match between non-charging simulations and experimental results. Improvements on charging models mainly focus on redistribution of the charge carriers in the material with an induced conductivity (EBIC) and a breakdown model, leading to a smoother distribution of the charges. Combined with a more accurate tracing of low energy electrons in the electric field, we managed to reproduce the dynamically changing charging contrast due to an induced positive surface potential.

Elaphomyces species (Elaphomycetaceae, Eurotiales) from Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA.

PubMed

Castellano, Michael A; Stephens, Ryan B

2017-06-01

We describe five new species of Elaphomyces from Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA ( E. americanus , E. bartlettii , E. macrosporus , E. oreoides , and E. remickii ) and revise the description of a sixth previously published species ( E. verruculosus ). Of the five new species, E. bartlettii and E. remickii are only known from New Hampshire whereas E. americanus, E. macrosporus, and E. oreoides are widely distributed in eastern North America. Elaphomyces verruculosus is the most widespread and abundant Elaphomyces species in eastern North America with a distribution extending from eastern Canada south to northeastern Mexico. All six Elaphomyces species are putatively associated with Tsuga canadensis , a tree species in regional decline. For five of the six Elaphomyces species, we report partially consumed ascomata or rodent fecal samples containing spores, indicating that small mammals play a key role in dispersing these Elaphomyces species and that the Elaphomyces are an important part of the small mammals' diet.

Social diversity promotes cooperation in spatial multigames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Jiahu; Chen, Yaming; Kang, Yu; Perc, Matjaž

2017-04-01

Social diversity is omnipresent in the modern world. Here we introduce this diversity into spatial multigames and study its impact on the evolution of cooperation. Multigames are characterized by two or more different social dilemmas being contested among players in the population. When a fraction of players plays the prisoner's dilemma game while the remainder plays the snowdrift game cooperation becomes a difficult proposition. We show that social diversity, determined by the payoff scaling factors from the uniform, exponential or power-law distribution, significantly promotes cooperation. In particular, the stronger the social diversity, the more widespread cooperative behavior becomes. Monte Carlo simulations on the square lattice reveal that a power-law distribution of social diversity is in fact optimal for socially favorable states, thus resonating with findings previously reported for single social dilemmas. We also show that the same promotion mechanism works in time-varying environments, thus further generalizing the important role of social diversity for cooperation in social dilemmas.

Molar mass fractionation in aqueous two-phase polymer solutions of dextran and poly(ethylene glycol).

PubMed

Zhao, Ziliang; Li, Qi; Ji, Xiangling; Dimova, Rumiana; Lipowsky, Reinhard; Liu, Yonggang

2016-06-24

Dextran and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in phase separated aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) of these two polymers, with a broad molar mass distribution for dextran and a narrow molar mass distribution for PEG, were separated and quantified by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Tie lines constructed by GPC method are in excellent agreement with those established by the previously reported approach based on density measurements of the phases. The fractionation of dextran during phase separation of ATPS leads to the redistribution of dextran of different chain lengths between the two phases. The degree of fractionation for dextran decays exponentially as a function of chain length. The average separation parameters, for both dextran and PEG, show a crossover from mean field behavior to Ising model behavior, as the critical point is approached. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of high-energy neutron flux above ground utilizing a spallation based multiplicity technique

DOE PAGES

Roecker, Caleb; Bernstein, Adam; Marleau, Peter; ...

2016-11-14

Cosmogenic high-energy neutrons are a ubiquitous, difficult to shield, poorly measured background. Above ground the high-energy neutron energy-dependent flux has been measured, with significantly varying results. Below ground, high-energy neutron fluxes are largely unmeasured. Here we present a reconstruction algorithm to unfold the incident neutron energy-dependent flux measured using the Multiplicity and Recoil Spectrometer (MARS), simulated test cases to verify the algorithm, and provide a new measurement of the above ground high-energy neutron energy-dependent flux with a detailed systematic uncertainty analysis. Uncertainty estimates are provided based upon the measurement statistics, the incident angular distribution, the surrounding environment of the Montemore » Carlo model, and the MARS triggering efficiency. Quantified systematic uncertainty is dominated by the assumed incident neutron angular distribution and surrounding environment of the Monte Carlo model. The energy-dependent neutron flux between 90 MeV and 400 MeV is reported. Between 90 MeV and 250 MeV the MARS results are comparable to previous Bonner sphere measurements. Over the total energy regime measured, the MARS result are located within the span of previous measurements. Lastly, these results demonstrate the feasibility of future below ground measurements with MARS.« less

Isolating the effect of pore size distribution on electrochemical double-layer capacitance using activated fluid coke

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuliani, Jocelyn E.; Tong, Shitang; Kirk, Donald W.; Jia, Charles Q.

2015-12-01

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) use physical ion adsorption in the capacitive electrical double layer of high specific surface area (SSA) materials to store electrical energy. Previous work shows that the SSA-normalized capacitance increases when pore diameters are less than 1 nm. However, there still remains uncertainty about the charge storage mechanism since the enhanced SSA-normalized capacitance is not observed in all microporous materials. In previous studies, the total specific surface area and the chemical composition of the electrode materials were not controlled. The current work is the first reported study that systematically compares the performance of activated carbon prepared from the same raw material, with similar chemical composition and specific surface area, but different pore size distributions. Preparing samples with similar SSAs, but different pores sizes is not straightforward since increasing pore diameters results in decreasing the SSA. This study observes that the microporous activated carbon has a higher SSA-normalized capacitance, 14.1 μF cm-2, compared to the mesoporous material, 12.4 μF cm-2. However, this enhanced SSA-normalized capacitance is only observed above a threshold operating voltage. Therefore, it can be concluded that a minimum applied voltage is required to induce ion adsorption in these sub-nanometer micropores, which increases the capacitance.

Measurement of high-energy neutron flux above ground utilizing a spallation based multiplicity technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roecker, Caleb; Bernstein, Adam; Marleau, Peter

Cosmogenic high-energy neutrons are a ubiquitous, difficult to shield, poorly measured background. Above ground the high-energy neutron energy-dependent flux has been measured, with significantly varying results. Below ground, high-energy neutron fluxes are largely unmeasured. Here we present a reconstruction algorithm to unfold the incident neutron energy-dependent flux measured using the Multiplicity and Recoil Spectrometer (MARS), simulated test cases to verify the algorithm, and provide a new measurement of the above ground high-energy neutron energy-dependent flux with a detailed systematic uncertainty analysis. Uncertainty estimates are provided based upon the measurement statistics, the incident angular distribution, the surrounding environment of the Montemore » Carlo model, and the MARS triggering efficiency. Quantified systematic uncertainty is dominated by the assumed incident neutron angular distribution and surrounding environment of the Monte Carlo model. The energy-dependent neutron flux between 90 MeV and 400 MeV is reported. Between 90 MeV and 250 MeV the MARS results are comparable to previous Bonner sphere measurements. Over the total energy regime measured, the MARS result are located within the span of previous measurements. Lastly, these results demonstrate the feasibility of future below ground measurements with MARS.« less

Morphological characters and DNA barcoding of Syngnathus schlegeli in the coastal waters of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhi; Zhang, Yan; Han, Zhiqiang; Song, Na; Gao, Tianxiang

2018-03-01

A Syngnathus species widely distributed in Chinese seas was permanently identified as Syngnathus acus by native ichthyologists, but the taxonomic description about this species was inadequate and lacking conclusively molecular evidence. To identify this species, 357 individuals of this species from the coastal waters of Dandong, Yantai, Qingdao and Zhoushan were collected and measured. Morphological results showed that these slender specimens were mainly brownish, usually mottled with pale. Standard length ranged from 117 mm to 213 mm with an average length of 180.3 mm. The above characters were consistent with S. schlegeli distributed in Japan but colored differently from and much smaller than typical S. acus reported in Europe. Thus, morphological studies revealed that this species was previously misidentified as S. acus and might be S. schlegeli in reality. In addition, a fragment of cytochrome oxidase subunit I ( COI) gene of mitochondrial DNA was also sequenced for species identification, and 15 COI sequences belonging to different Syngnathus species were also used for the molecular identification. COI sequences of our specimens had the minimum genetic distance from recognized S. schlegeli from Japan and clustered with it firstly. The phylogenetic analysis similarly suggested that the species previously identified as S. acus in the coastal waters of China was S. schlegeli actually.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.

A search is reported for a narrow vector resonance decaying to quark-antiquark pairs in proton-proton collisions at √s=13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.7 fb -1. The vector resonance is produced at large transverse momenta, with its decay products merged into a single jet. The resulting signature is a peak over background in the distribution of the invariant mass of the jet. The results are interpreted in the framework of a leptophobic vector resonance and no evidence is found for such particles in the mass range ofmore » 100–300 GeV. Upper limits at 95% confidence level on the production cross section are presented in a region of mass-coupling phase space previously unexplored at the LHC. The region below 140 GeV has not been explored by any previous experiments.« less

Flight experiments measuring boundary-layer disturbances in laminar flow and correlation with stability analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Cynthia C.; Obara, Clifford J.; Vijgen, Paul M.; Wusk, Michael S.

1991-01-01

Flight test results are reported from an experiment designed to study the detailed growth of disturbances in the laminar boundary layer. A gloved wing section incorporating closely-spaced flush-mounted streamwise-located instrumentation for measuring instability frequencies and amplitude growths as well as pressure distributions was used. The growth of Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) and crossflow instabilities is predicted by the linear e exp n method and compared to the measured boundary-layer disturbance frequencies. The predictions showed good agreement with the measured data. The results exhibited fair agreement with previous n(T-S) and n(CF) flight correlations for several of the conditions analyzed. It is inferred from the high n(T-S) values for these data that moderately swept wings at compressible speeds can withstand higher combinations of n(T-S) and n(CF) values and still remain laminar than previously thought.

Extension of Gutenberg-Richter distribution to MW -1.3, no lower limit in sight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boettcher, Margaret S.; McGarr, A.; Johnston, Malcolm

2009-05-01

With twelve years of seismic data from TauTona Gold Mine, South Africa, we show that mining-induced earthquakes follow the Gutenberg-Richter relation with no scale break down to the completeness level of the catalog, at moment magnitude M W -1.3. Events recorded during relatively quiet hours in 2006 indicate that catalog detection limitations, not earthquake source physics, controlled the previously reported minimum magnitude in this mine. Within the Natural Earthquake Laboratory in South African Mines (NELSAM) experiment's dense seismic array, earthquakes that exhibit shear failure at magnitudes as small as M W -3.9 are observed, but we find no evidence that M W -3.9 represents the minimum magnitude. In contrast to previous work, our results imply small nucleation zones and that earthquake processes in the mine can readily be scaled to those in either laboratory experiments or natural faults.

Genetic structure of Mexican Mestizo women with breast cancer based on three STR loci.

PubMed

Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana L; Rivera-Prieto, Roxana A; Ortíz-Lopez, Rocio; Rivas, Fernando; Barrera-Saldaña, Hugo A; Peñaloza-Espinosa, Rosenda I; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M

2008-01-01

The aim of this population genetics study was to compare the genetic structure of Mexican women with breast cancer (BrCa) with previously reported data of four random populations (Nuevo León, Hispanics, Chihuahua, and Central Region of Mexico). A sample of 115 unrelated women with BrCa and whose four grandparents were born in five zones of Mexico were interviewed at a reference hospital in Northeastern Mexico. Noncodifying STRs D7S820, D13S317, and D16S39 were analyzed; genotype distribution was in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations for all three markers. Similar allele frequencies among four random populations and this selected population were found. According with this and previous studies using molecular and nonmolecular nuclear DNA markers not associated with any disease, Mexican Mestizo population is genetically homogeneous and therefore, genetic causes of BrCa are less heterogeneous, simplifying genetic epidemiologic studies.

Deterministic quantum teleportation of atomic qubits.

PubMed

Barrett, M D; Chiaverini, J; Schaetz, T; Britton, J; Itano, W M; Jost, J D; Knill, E; Langer, C; Leibfried, D; Ozeri, R; Wineland, D J

2004-06-17

Quantum teleportation provides a means to transport quantum information efficiently from one location to another, without the physical transfer of the associated quantum-information carrier. This is achieved by using the non-local correlations of previously distributed, entangled quantum bits (qubits). Teleportation is expected to play an integral role in quantum communication and quantum computation. Previous experimental demonstrations have been implemented with optical systems that used both discrete and continuous variables, and with liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. Here we report unconditional teleportation of massive particle qubits using atomic (9Be+) ions confined in a segmented ion trap, which aids individual qubit addressing. We achieve an average fidelity of 78 per cent, which exceeds the fidelity of any protocol that does not use entanglement. This demonstration is also important because it incorporates most of the techniques necessary for scalable quantum information processing in an ion-trap system.